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J.Health Sci., 52(5), 642-647, 2006

Relationship between Exposure to Formaldehyde and Immunoglobulin E (IgE) Production during the Gross Anatomy Laboratory

Kimihide Ohmichi,a Masatoshi Komiyama,a, e Yoshiharu Matsuno,a, e Yuji Sawabe,b Hidenobu Miyaso,a Hideki Fukata,c Masayoshi Ohmichi,f Tomoko Kadota,a Fumio Nomura,b, d and Chisato Mori*, a, c, e

aDepartment of Bioenvironmental Medicine, bDivision of Laboratory Medicine, Chiba University Hospital, cEnvironmental Health Science Project for Future Generations, and dDepartment of Molecular Diagnosis, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuoku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan, eCenter for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, 6-2-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa 277-0882, Japan, and fChiba City Social Welfare Administrative Office, 1208-8 Chibadera, Chuoku, Chiba 260-0844, Japan

In the gross anatomy laboratory, which is one of the compulsory subjects in most medical and dental schools, participants cannot avoid exposure to formaldehyde (FA), which is emitted from cadavers during dissection. FA has been recognized as a harmful chemical and we have previously reported that symptoms felt by participants in a gross anatomy laboratory are similar to those of allergic diseases. Although immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated sensitization to FA is a matter of controversy, it is possible that IgE production is evoked during a gross anatomy laboratory and is responsible for the reported symptoms. In order to test this hypothesis, we examined the relationships between the personal FA exposure levels and plasma IgE levels in a gross anatomy laboratory. In the laboratory, the personal FA exposure levels ranged from 0.33 to 1.47 ppm. Total blood IgE levels did not increase significantly and specific IgE to FA was negative during the laboratory sessions. Thus, from this study, we cannot support the hypothesis that the exposure to FA triggers an IgE-mediated reaction in this study. In conclusion, exposure to FA does not induce IgE production during gross anatomy laboratories at our school.