And can the test be used as a valid measure to determine treatment response effectiveness?
Recent presentation of a family requesting alternative treatment for suspected Chloracne. Conventional medical treatment was sought for over 5years yielding mild relief in symptoms. Cases are 3 adult males and 1 adult female, each with a 10year+ history of suspected chloracne.
Two types of tests are available for determining dioxin levels in blood samples.
Bioassay tests will provide an estimate of the total TEQ concentration, but cannot provide a measure of individual dioxin congeners in a sample. These tests use genetically modified mammal cells that respond when exposed to the dioxin-like chemicals in a blood sample. Bioassays are generally used only for screening because the test can also respond to other chemicals that may be in the sample. An advantage of the screening level bioassay is a far lower cost than other test methods. High-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (HR-GC/MS) analysis is the preferred test to measure individual congeners as well as the total dioxin TEQ concentration. The US Environmental Protection Agency has developed Method 8290 to guide laboratories in performing this analysis. Lipid (blood fat) analysis should also be done on the blood sample so that the results of the test can be given as units of dioxin TEQ per unit of blood lipid. While the HR-GC/MS test is more specific, it is also more costly than the screening bioassay test.
Detailed information can be found in the attached file.
Karabassi is perfectly right. For screening purpose XDS-CALAUX can be used. It is a gene based screening bioassay. It is also va validated as method 4435 by USEPA but probably not for blood.
So the above information concerns analysis of dioxins, if you need toxicity information, you could start with http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe201205085413
Many thanks Prof. Jouko, a very interesting compilation that you sent.
In the booklet it states that the dioxins have a half life of 5-10years in the body, from a clinician-patients perspective, could you explain what best detox options (medical and non-medical) that one can implement in clinical practice?
Unfortunately there are very few ways to remove dioxins from the body. After a serious poisoning in Vienna, lipid-like substance olestra was used to prevent reabsorption of dioxins from the gastrointestinal tract (see Geusau et al. Environ. Health Perspect. 2001:109: 865–869, http://pubmed.gov/11564625; Sorg et al. Lancet 2009:374:1179–1185; http://pubmed.gov/19660807). On the other hand, elimination is faster at high doses probably due to enzyme induction. Fortunately there have been very few human effects except for chloracne. It might be reasonable to analyze dioxins in blood lipids to find out the level. This would give better possibilities to evaluate the risks. The biggest problems are to be expected in females in fertile age, because of the risk of birth defects due to prenatal exposure or exposure from breast milk.
In Europe the most testing for dioxin-like compounds is done by DR CALUX bioassay. Main reasons are that this testing is cheaper, faster and safer, because it covers all polyhalogenated dioxins, PCBs, PCNs and chlorpyrifos condensation products..and if you have chloracne you want to know if you can find the origin of it and how to prevent all these compounds causing chloracne..
We have also very good experience with DR CALUX bioassay. It was used in broad range of our studies. See e.g. Article Detection of high PBDD/Fs levels and dioxin-like activity in...
Conference Paper Brominated dioxins contamination of consumer products and fr...
Article High levels of PCDD/Fs around sites with waste containing PO...
Book Toxic Hot Spots in Kazakhstan. Monitoring Reports
but also some studies by Abel Arkenbout like this oneConference Paper Biomarkers of Environmental Pollutants of PCDD/Fs, dl-PCBs, ...
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