Decrease over a six year period of dioxin and dibenzofuran tissue levels in a single patient following exposure

In a previous publication, we followed PCDD/F tissue level decline in one patient over a three year period beginning two years after exposure. This paper extends the observations over a six year time period. Because the kinetics of the dioxins and dibenzofurans are poorly characterized in humans, the monitoring of even a single person over time provides unique data. Decreases are reported in 2,3,4,7,8-PnCDF, 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDF, 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDF, 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD, and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF. These congeners may have reached a plateau at this time, although we have previously reported elevated dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) tissue levels in workers 32 years after exposure. The elevated PCDFs reported are the same as the elevations reported in the Yusho and Yu-Chen rice oil poisonings, but here eight years after exposure elevated levels are no longer apparent.