Division of Respirology, Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases and Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-1692, Japan.
Department of Neurology, Chiyoda Hospital, Miyazaki 883-0064, Japan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Oct 13;18(20):10749. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182010749.
As a result of population growth and the development of tube wells, humans' exposure to arsenic has increased over the past few decades. The natural course of organ damage secondary to arsenic exposure is not yet well understood. In Toroku, Japan, an arsenic mine was intermittently operated from 1920 to 1962, and residents were exposed to high concentrations of arsenic. In this paper, we analyzed 190 consecutive residents for whom detailed records of neurological symptoms and findings were obtained from 1974 to 2005. All participants were interviewed regarding the presence of general, skin, hearing, respiratory, and neurological symptoms. Neurological symptoms were classified into extremity numbness or pain, constipation, dyshidrosis, sensory loss, and muscle atrophy. Superficial and vibratory sensation was also evaluated. More than 80% of participants experienced extremity numbness, and numbness was the most common neurological symptom. Numbness was associated with superficial sensory disturbance, and was correlated with the subsequent development of other neurological symptoms, including autonomic and motor symptoms. No previous studies have investigated the natural course of chronic arsenic intoxication; thus, these data serve as a guide for detecting early symptoms due to arsenic exposure.
由于人口增长和管井的开发，过去几十年中人类接触砷的情况有所增加。人们对砷暴露引起的器官损伤的自然病程还不太了解。在日本的常陆那珂市，一个砷矿于 1920 年至 1962 年间歇性运营，居民因此暴露于高浓度的砷之下。在本文中，我们分析了 190 名连续居民，这些居民在 1974 年至 2005 年间详细记录了他们的神经症状和发现。所有参与者都被问及一般、皮肤、听力、呼吸和神经系统症状的存在情况。神经系统症状分为四肢麻木或疼痛、便秘、出汗不良、感觉丧失和肌肉萎缩。还评估了浅表感觉和振动觉。超过 80%的参与者经历过四肢麻木，麻木是最常见的神经系统症状。麻木与浅表感觉障碍有关，并且与随后出现的其他神经系统症状（包括自主和运动症状）相关。以前没有研究调查过慢性砷中毒的自然病程；因此，这些数据为检测因砷暴露引起的早期症状提供了指导。
