THE TOXICOLOGY OF 2,3,7,8-TETRACHLORODIBENZO- p -DIOXIN AND ITS STRUCTURAL ANALOGUES

Abstract

This review starts by describing the various chlorinated compounds which have caused the human skin condition chloracne and then indicates the widespread nature of the specific incidents involving the potent chloracnegen 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD). The various human signs and symptoms of TCDD poisoning are then correlated with experimental animal models and the effects of body distribution and metabolism of TCDD on its toxicity are discussed. The activity of analogues of TCDD with respect to molecular shape and size is described and a case of poisoning which might be due to chlorinated xanthenes, steric analogues of TCDD which have not yet been implicated in chloracne outbreaks, is outlined.