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Royal jelly-induced asthma and anaphylaxis
Abstracts from the literature take an extra 400 b:g folic acid or folate daily to prevent neural tube defects in any offspring they might produce. The D o l l claims the extra intake can be achieved by eating more folate-rich foods, eating foods fortified with falic acid, or by taking folic acid supplements. A 3-month UK intervention study with 41 non-pregnant women found that "compared with supplements (400 /~g folic acid/day) and fortified food, consumption of extra folate as natural food folate is relatively ineffective at increasing folate status", as assessed by red-cell folate concentrations. The authors concluded that "advice to women to consume folate-rich foods as a means to optimise folate status is misleading" (Cuskelly et al., Lancet 1996, 347, 657). ROYAL JELLY-INDUCED ASTHMAAND ANAPHYLAXIS Australian investigators have described seven cases of asthma and anaphylaxis (potentially life-threatening allergic reactions) immediately following consumption of royal jelly, a 'health tonic' secreted by young worker honeybees. Three of the patients had claimed never to have taken this product before. Serum antibodies to royal jelly components were found not only in the seven cases, but also in sera from patients with known allergy to bee venom or "other common allergic disorders". "'This finding could imply that there are many 'sensitized' individuals at risk for adverse reactions when exposed to royal jelly" (Leung et al., Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 1995, 96, 1004). POTASSIUM REDUCES BLOOD PRESSURE Potassium supplementation was shown to reduce blood pressure substantially in a group of African Americans on a low-potassium diet. In a doubleblind trial, 87 healthy subjects were randomly assigned to receive either potassium chloride supplementation (80 mmol/day) or placebo for a 21-day study period. Decreases in both systolic blood pressure (6.9 mmHg; 95% CI 4.4-9.3; P < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (2.5 mmHg; 95% CI 0.8-4.3; P = 0.004) were fouad in the 43 subjects in the potassium-supplemenLed group (Brancati et al., Archives of Internal Medicine 1996, 156, 61). METOBROMURON AND METHAEMOGLOBINEMIA A report claims to present the first case of methaemoglobinaemia following ingestion of metobromuron, a urea herbicide. The victim was a pregnant woman who ingested an estimated dose of 2780 mg/kg body weight (obtained from an equi-volume mixture of metobromuron and metolachlor). She was successfully t~:eated by intravenous injection of methylene blue. No adverse effects were recorded in the 4-yr follow-up of the patient and her child (Yang et al., Clinical Toxicology 1995, 33, 713). FCT 34/7--F
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PESTICIDE EXPOSURE AND NON-HODGKIN'S
LYMPHOMA A number of epidemiological studies have reported a raised level of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in those exposed to pesticides. Chromosomal changes at specific gene sites that had previously been reported in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have now been observed in the blood cells of 61 male US pesticide applicators. The authors concluded that "the chemical specificity of these pesticide-related effects needs to be explored in detail to determine whether particular pesticides could account for the findings" and that the "potential pathobiological relevanace of the cytogenetic events warrants additional investigation at the molecular level" (Garry et al., Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 1996, 5, 11).
ACETONE AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
A study of 110 Japanese workers in an acetate fibre plant has found associations between exposure to acetone and a number of symptoms including eye irritation, nausea, loss of weight, or slow healing of an external wound. Performance in neurobehavioural tests (including simple reaction time and digit span) was poorer in a sub-set of the exposed workers when compared with the unexposed controls. Mean workplace acetone exposure was 364 ppm (range 19.6-1018) (Satoh et al., International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 1996, 68, 147). The current U K occupational exposure standard for acetone is 750 ppm (8-hr time-weighted average).
OCCUPATIONAL LARYNGITIS DUE TO FORMALDEHYDE
A Finnish dairy foreman who had been exposed for 9 yr to formaldehyde emitted from a milk-packing machine situated underneath his office suffered hoarseness and chest tightness and periodically lost his voice. Typical formaldehyde levels in his office were 0.03 mg/m 3. A skin prick test with formaldehyde was negative but exposure to 1 ppm (about 1.23 mg/m 3) formaldehyde in a chamber provocation test caused increases in hoarseness, redness of the laryngeal mucosa and redness and oedema of the vocal cords. No such symptoms were produced in five healthy controls, and occupational laryngitis was diagnosed (Roto and Sala, American Journal of Industrial Medicine 1996, 29, 275).
BENZENE AND THE BLOOD
Three papers published recently in the US medical literature "reconfirm benzene's ability to cause a wide range of [blood] toxicity, including malignancy"
665
PESTICIDE EXPOSURE AND NON-HODGKIN'S
LYMPHOMA A number of epidemiological studies have reported a raised level of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in those exposed to pesticides. Chromosomal changes at specific gene sites that had previously been reported in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have now been observed in the blood cells of 61 male US pesticide applicators. The authors concluded that "the chemical specificity of these pesticide-related effects needs to be explored in detail to determine whether particular pesticides could account for the findings" and that the "potential pathobiological relevanace of the cytogenetic events warrants additional investigation at the molecular level" (Garry et al., Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 1996, 5, 11).
ACETONE AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
A study of 110 Japanese workers in an acetate fibre plant has found associations between exposure to acetone and a number of symptoms including eye irritation, nausea, loss of weight, or slow healing of an external wound. Performance in neurobehavioural tests (including simple reaction time and digit span) was poorer in a sub-set of the exposed workers when compared with the unexposed controls. Mean workplace acetone exposure was 364 ppm (range 19.6-1018) (Satoh et al., International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 1996, 68, 147). The current U K occupational exposure standard for acetone is 750 ppm (8-hr time-weighted average).
OCCUPATIONAL LARYNGITIS DUE TO FORMALDEHYDE
A Finnish dairy foreman who had been exposed for 9 yr to formaldehyde emitted from a milk-packing machine situated underneath his office suffered hoarseness and chest tightness and periodically lost his voice. Typical formaldehyde levels in his office were 0.03 mg/m 3. A skin prick test with formaldehyde was negative but exposure to 1 ppm (about 1.23 mg/m 3) formaldehyde in a chamber provocation test caused increases in hoarseness, redness of the laryngeal mucosa and redness and oedema of the vocal cords. No such symptoms were produced in five healthy controls, and occupational laryngitis was diagnosed (Roto and Sala, American Journal of Industrial Medicine 1996, 29, 275).
BENZENE AND THE BLOOD
Three papers published recently in the US medical literature "reconfirm benzene's ability to cause a wide range of [blood] toxicity, including malignancy"