Hexachlorobenzene, porphyria inducer

The porphyrias are a heterogeneous group of diseases, all of which involve disorders of heme biosynthesis, which result in accumulation and increased excretion of porphyrins or porphyrin precursors. The porphyrias can be divided into two kinds the hereditary porphyrias, some of which can be exacerbated by exposure to certain chemicals, and the toxic porphyrias, which can be produced by exposure to certain chemicals alone. The pattern of excretion of porphyrins and porphyrin precursors is characteristic for each type. Clinical symptoms consist mainly of cutaneous photosensitivity and/or neurological disturbances. Hexachlorobenzene is a chemical inducer of porphyria. 

Gocmen A, Peters HA, Cripps DJ, Morris CR, Dogramaci I (1986) Porphyria turcica hexachlorobenzene-induced porphyria. In Morris C Cabral JR eds. Hexachloroben-zene Proceedings of an international symposium. Lyon, International Agency for Research on Cancer, pp 567-573 (IARC Scientific Publications No. 77). 

The chemicals that induce hepatic porphyria in man, animals, or chick embryo cells in culture consist of a wide variety of organic compounds that differ in physiologic activity. They include, for example, the central nervous depressants such as the barbiturates, sulfonme-thanes, and glutethimides the anticonvulsant methsuximide the central nervous stimulant bemegride the fungicides griseofulvin and hexachlorobenzene some chlorinated insecticides and the isoprenoid terpenes and steroids [2,10,11,24,25]. 

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