WHAT WAS THE CHEMICAL CAUSED EYE LESIONS AMONG PATIENTS WHO WERE TREATED WITH NAC-DIALYZER?

Abstract

From Dec. 1981 to early Mar. 1982, an outbreak of scleritis and/or iritis occurred among patients treated with NAC cellulose acetate capillary dialyzers. The extract obtained from the dialyzers caused iritis in rabbits by infusing it into an auricula vein. Glycerol, acetylated carbohydrates (AC), urethane derivatives and PPG were found in the extract. Only AC caused iritis in rabbits, while they caused hyperemia of bulbar conjunctiva in dogs. There was a good correlation between the amount of AC and the rate of incidences. Thus, it was decided that AC played a main role in the outbreak.