Summary
In our previous paper (1967) it was asserted that the pathological and clinical features of chronic carbon disulfide poisoning are microangiopathy (microangiopathia sulfocarbonica) characterized by retinal microaneurysm or nephropathy, which may develop into glomerulosclerosis. This postulation first poses a question, whether or not pathogenesis of the microangiopathy has a similar history to that seen in diabetes mellitus.
To elucidate the pathogenesis of microangiopathy due to carbon disulfide, prednisolone augmented glucose tolerance test and fluorescein angiography were carried out in 214 carbon disulfide workers and 45 control workers.
Both the one- and two-hour postglucose blood sugar levels during prednisolone GTT were higher in carbon disulfide workers than in controls, and it was certified that these blood sugar levels increased with lengthening of duration of exposure to carbon disulfide. Abnormal prednisolone GTT was found in 21 % of the carbon disulfide workers and in 4.4 % of the controls. Retinal microaneurysm was found in 55.9 % of the former and in 15.4 % of the latter. There was a clear trend toward higher incidence of microaneurysm with increasing duration of exposure to carbon disulfide. In 26 cases out of 109 carbon disulfide workers with retinal microaneurysm, abnormal prednisolone GTT was found (23.9 %). On the other hand, in the controls with microaneurysm, there were no cases with abnormal prednisolone GTT.
The results permit the statement that carbon disulfide has a mild diabetogenic action and pathogenesis of retinal microaneurysm due to carbon disulfide is closely related to that seen in diabetes mellitus.
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Goto, S., Hotta, R. & Sugimoto, K. Studies on chronic carbon disulfide poisoning. Int. Arch. Arbeitsmed 28, 115–126 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00539020
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00539020