Role of high-volume plasmapheresis in the management of paediatric acute liver failure.

OBJECTIVES: Paediatric acute liver failure (PALF) is a life-threatening disease. Management aims to support hepatic regeneration or to bridge to liver transplantation. High-volume plasmapheresis (HVP) removes protein-bound substances, alleviates inflammation, and improves survival in adult acute liver failure. However, experience with HVP in PALF is limited. Aim of this study is to report on feasibility, safety, efficacy and outcomes of HVP in PALF. METHODS: Retrospective observational study in children with PALF. HVP was performed upon identification of negative prognostic indicators, in toxic aetiology or multiorgan failure (MOF). Exchanged volume with fresh-frozen plasma corresponded to 1.5-2.0 times the patient's estimated plasma volume. One daily cycle was performed until the patient met criteria for discontinuation, that is, liver regeneration, liver transplantation, or death. RESULTS: Twenty-two children with PALF (body weight 2.5-106 kg) received 1-7 HVP cycles. No bleeding or procedure-related mortality occurred. Alkalosis, hypothermia and reduction in platelets were observed. Haemolysis led to HVP termination in one infant. Seven children (32%) survived with their native livers, 13 patients (59%) underwent liver transplantation. Two infants died due to MOF. Overall survival was 86%. International normalization ratio (INR), alanine aminotransaminases (ALT), bilirubin and inotropic support were reduced significantly (p < 0.05) after the first HVP-cycle (median): INR 2.85 versus 1.5; ALT 1280 versus 434 U/L; bilirubin 12.7 versus 6.7 mg/dL; norepinephrine dosage 0.083 versus 0.009 µg/kg/min. Median soluble-interleukin-2-receptor dropped significantly following HVP (n = 7): 2407 versus 950 U/mL (p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: HVP in PALF is feasible, safe, improves markers of liver failure and inflammation and is associated with lowering inotropic support. Prospective and controlled studies are required to confirm efficacy of HVP in PALF.

Photodynamic therapy for intergluteal warts in a child affected by Rett syndrome.

Genital warts (GWs) are the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide, caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The increasing prevalence of GWs in children has renewed the interest in therapeutic management which still presents a unique challenge, being influenced by many variables including size, quantity, and location of warts, as well as the presence of comorbidities. Conventional photodynamic therapy (C-PDT) has already shown encouraging results in the treatment of viral warts in adult patients, but its use is still not standardized in the pediatric population. On this topic, we report our experience with C-PDT in a difficult-to-treat area like the perianal region in a 12-year-old girl affected by Rett syndrome, an X-linked dominant neurological disorder, with a 10-month history of florid genital condylomatosis. After the third session of C-PDT, complete clearance of the lesions was achieved. Our case is paradigmatic of the potentiality of PDT to treat difficult lesions in difficult patients. Despite being expensive and time-consuming, this procedure has been demonstrated to be safe and well-tolerated. Lastly, the therapy is also well accepted by parents, due to its minimal invasiveness and the few side effects, compared to the other therapeutic options.

Effects of endoscopic gastric plication on portal pressure gradient in a patient with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis.

Video 1Endoscopic gastric plication (EGP) to treat obesity and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in a patient with compensated cirrhosis, as well as the application of EUS-guided portal pressure gradient (EUS-PPG) measurement to monitor changes in PPG after EGP.

Three decades of the Human Genome Organization.

The Human Genome Organization (HUGO) was initially established in 1988 to help integrate international scientific genomic activity and to accelerate the diffusion of knowledge from the efforts of the human genome project. Its founding President was Victor McKusick. During the late 1980s and 1990s, HUGO organized lively gene mapping meetings to accurately place genes on the genome as chromosomes were being sequenced. With the completion of the Human Genome Project, HUGO went through some transitions and self-reflection. In 2020, HUGO (which hosts a large annual scientific meeting and comprises the renowned HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee [HGNC], responsible for naming genes, and an outstanding Ethics Committee) was merged with the Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS; which defines the correct nomenclature for variation description) and the Human Variome Project (HVP; championed by the late Richard Cotton) into a single organization that is committed to assembling human genomic variation from all over the world. This consolidated effort, under a new Executive Board and seven focused committees, will facilitate efficient and effective communication and action to bring the benefits of increasing knowledge of genome diversity and biology to people all over the world.

Successful High-Volume Plasmapheresis in Acute Liver Failure.

Acute liver failure carries a high mortality. At present, liver transplant is the definitive treatment along with standard medical support. In the absence of or as a bridge to liver transplant, several liver assist therapies have been derived. Some of the therapies have shown short-term mortality benefits and transplant-free survival over standard medical treatment alone. High volume plasmapheresis (HVP) is one of such therapies and is readily available in hospitals. We discuss the case of a 28-year-old female who presented with acute liver failure, did not qualify for the liver transplant and successfully underwent HVP. Various regimens of plasmapheresis have been described in the literature of which we used the HVP for pre-determined three days. Our case emphasizes the importance of early initiation of HVP in an acute liver failure patient who did not qualify for liver transplant, and adds to the existing evidence of the utility of this particular type of plasmapheresis over other regimens.

Bio-Functionalized Chitosan for Bone Tissue Engineering.

Hybrid biomaterials allow for the improvement of the biological properties of materials and have been successfully used for implantology in medical applications. The covalent and selective functionalization of materials with bioactive peptides provides favorable results in tissue engineering by supporting cell attachment to the biomaterial through biochemical cues and interaction with membrane receptors. Since the functionalization with bioactive peptides may alter the chemical and physical properties of the biomaterials, in this study we characterized the biological responses of differently functionalized chitosan analogs. Chitosan analogs were produced through the reaction of GRGDSPK (RGD) or FRHRNRKGY (HVP) sequences, both carrying an aldehyde-terminal group, to chitosan. The bio-functionalized polysaccharides, pure or "diluted" with chitosan, were chemically characterized in depth and evaluated for their antimicrobial activities and biocompatibility toward human primary osteoblast cells. The results obtained indicate that the bio-functionalization of chitosan increases human-osteoblast adhesion (p < 0.005) and proliferation (p < 0.005) as compared with chitosan. Overall, the 1:1 mixture of HVP functionalized-chitosan:chitosan is the best compromise between preserving the antibacterial properties of the material and supporting osteoblast differentiation and calcium deposition (p < 0.005 vs. RGD). In conclusion, our results reported that a selected concentration of HVP supported the biomimetic potential of functionalized chitosan better than RGD and preserved the antibacterial properties of chitosan.

The Human Variome Project country node of Argentina in the first two years of activity: past, present and future / El nodo Argentino del Proyecto Varioma Humano en los primeros dos años de actividad: pasado, presente y futuro

The Human Variome Project (HVP) is an international effort aiming systematically to collect and share information on all human genetic variants. It has been working for years in collaboration with local scientific societies by establishing systems to collect every genetic variant reported in a country and to store these variants within a database repository: LOVD (Argentinian chapter: ar.lovd.org). Formally established in 2017 in the Argentinian Node, up to June 2019 we collected more than 25,000 genetic variants deposited by 17 different laboratories. Nowadays the HVP country nodes represent more than 30 countries. In Latin America there are four country nodes: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela; the first two interacted recently launching the LatinGen database. In the present work we want to share our experience in applying the HVP project focusing on its organization, rules and nomenclature to reach the goal of sharing genetic variants and depositing them in the Leiden Open Variation Database. Contributing laboratories are seeking to share variant data to gain access all over the country. It is one of our goals to stimulate the highest quality by organizing courses, applying current nomenclature rules, sponsoring lectures in national congresses, distributing newsletter to serve the Argentinian genomics community and to stimulate the interaction among Latin America countries.

El Proyecto Varioma Humano (HVP) es un esfuerzo internacional que tiene como objetivo recopilar y compartir sistemáticamente información sobre todas las variantes genéticas humanas. Hemos estado trabajando durante tres años en colaboración con sociedades científicas locales, mediante el establecimiento de sistemas para recolectar todas las variantes genéticas reportadas en el país y almacenarlas dentro de la base de datos LOVD (capítulo argentino: ar.lovd.org). En el año 2017 fue establecido formalmente el Nodo Argentino del HVP, habiéndose recolectado más de 25.000 variantes genéticas depositadas por 17 laboratorios diferentes hasta junio de 2019. Hoy en día existen al menos 30 nodos del HVP, correspondientes a diferentes países. En América Latina hay cuatro nodos: Argentina, Brasil, México y Venezuela; Los dos primeros interactuaron recientemente lanzando la base de datos LatinGen. En el presente trabajo queremos compartir nuestra experiencia en la aplicación del proyecto HVP centrándonos en su organización, reglas y nomenclatura para alcanzar el objetivo de compartir variantes genéticas y depositarlas en la base de datos de variaciones abiertas de Leiden (LOVD). Es uno de nuestros objetivos estimular la más alta calidad mediante la organización de cursos, aplicación de las reglas de nomenclatura actuales, patrocinio de conferencias en congresos nacionales, distribución de boletines informativos para la comunidad de genómica argentina, y estimulación de la interacción entre los países de América Latina.

Improvement of a GC-MS analytical method for the simultaneous detection of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP in food.

Chloropropanols such as 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-dichloropropan-2-ol (1,3-DCP) are produced by heat treatment in the presence of fat and hydrochloric acid during the manufacture of food stuffs such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein and soy sauce. 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP have been detected in several foods. An efficient, highly selective GC-MS method was developed to determine the concentration of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP in food. Calibration curves for 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP were constructed, and a correlation of determination (r2) ≥ 0.9990 was obtained. The limits of detection and quantitation for 3-MCPD in food were 0.6 and 2.0 µg/kg, respectively, and those for 1,3-DCP were 0.2 and 0.6 µg/kg, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this GC-MS-based method is a newly improved analytical procedure for the simultaneous separation and determination of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP, at once and at low levels (µg/kg).

Prevalence of human papillomavirus types in North and Central regions of Mexico.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a DNA virus linked to mucosal and cutaneous carcinogenesis. More than 200 different HPV types exist. We carried out a transversal study to investigate the prevalence of HPV types in two regions of Mexico. A total of 724 genital and non-genital samples from women (F) and men (M) were studied; 241 (33%) from North-Eastern (NE) and 483 (66%) from South-Central (SC) Mexico. The overall prevalence was 87%. In genital lesions from females, the NE group showed a prevalence of HPV types 16 (37%), 6 (13%), 59 (6%), 11, 18 and 66 (5.4% each); and the SC group showed types 6 (17%), 16 (15%), 11 (14.5%), 18 (12%) and 53 (6%). In the genital lesions from males, NE group showed types 16 (38%), 6 (21%), 11 (13%) and 59 plus 31 (7.5%) and the SC group showed types 6 (25%), 11 (22%), 18 (17%) and 16 (11.5%). When the two regions were compared, a higher prevalence of low-risk HPV 6 and 11 was found in the SC region and of high-risk HPV 59, 31 and 66 (the latter can also be present in benign lesions) in the NE region. Our findings complement efforts to understand HPV demographics as a prerequisite to guide and assess the impact of preventive interventions.

Enzooty of non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma of Papio hamadryas in Sukhumi monkey colony. Clinical and morphological signs of pre-lymphoma.

Inoculation of hamadryas baboons with blood of leukemia ill people-induced malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in experimental animals for a very considerable latency period. At close contact of inoculated baboons with healthy non-inoculated animals, the lymphoma spread between them. The epidemiological analysis, postmortem examination, histological analysis, tissue culturing, and PCR were used for the diagnostics of lymphoma and pre-lymphoma, purification, identification of STLV-1, and HVP viruses. Characteristic clinical and morphological signs designated by us as pre-lymphoma often precede the lymphoma development. In some cases, pre-lymphoma does not develop in lymphoma because animals die from various diseases and do not reach the point of the lymphoma development. The horizontal transmission of lymphoma arising with the participation of T-lymphotropic retrovirus STLV-1 is shown.

[Acceptability of human papilloma virus vaccine: parent survey]. / Acceptabilité du vaccin antivirus du papillome humain: enquête auprès des parents.

This study aims to evaluate the extent of human papilloma virus vaccine awareness among parents of girls in vaccine age group, their acceptability of the vaccine and factors associated with refusal. We conducted a survey among parents of girls aged 8-15 years, followed-up for several diseases in the Department of Pediatrics at the University Hospital Mohamed VI in Marrakech, Morocco, on parents' profile, their awareness of cancer of the cervix, HPV and HPV vaccine, the acceptance of HPV vaccine for their daughters and the arguments related to refusal. Ninety six questionnaires were included in the analysis. Cancer of the cervix was considered frequent for 58% of parents. Only 5% of parents knew about HPV vaccine. Media were the source of information in all cases. Nobody had no idea about the cost of the vaccine and its tolerance. No girl was vaccinated against HPV. Sixty-three per cent of parents want their daughters to be vaccinated, this rate increased by 82% after awareness. Thirteen per cent of the parents were hesitant while 24% refused to vaccinate their daughters mainly due to side effects (51%). Parents refusing vaccine were predominantly males with medium socioeconomic status and cultural level and were unaware of the virus and the vaccine in 91% of cases. This study highlights the reasons for parents' reluctance towards HPV vaccine in order to optimize strategies for effective communication with parents.

Analysis of full coding sequence of the TP53 gene in invasive vulvar cancers: Implications for therapy.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the frequency and type of TP53 gene mutations and HPV status in 72 consecutively diagnosed primary invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) during the past 5years. METHODS: DNA of formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tumour tissue was analysed for 32 HPV subtypes and the full coding sequence of the TP53 gene, and correlated with results of p53 immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: 13/72 (18%) cancers were HPV-induced squamous cell carcinomas, of which 1/13 (8%) carcinoma harboured a somatic TP53 mutation. Among the 59/72 (82%) HPV-negative cancers, 59/72 (82%) SCC were HPV-negative with wild-type gene in 14/59 (24%) SCC and somatic TP53 mutations in 45/59 (76%) SCC. 28/45 (62%) SCC carried one (n=20) or two (n=8) missense mutations. 11/45 (24%) carcinomas showed a single disruptive mutation (3× frame shift, 7× stop codon, 1× deletion), 3/45 SCC a splice site mutation. 3/45 (7%) carcinomas had 2 or 3 different mutations. 18 different "hot spot" mutations were observed in 22/45 cancers (49%; 5× R273, 3× R282; 2× each Y220, R278, R248). Immunohistochemical p53 over expression was identified in most SCC with missense mutations, but not in SCC with disruptive TP53 mutations or TP53 wild-type. 14/45 (31%) patients with TP53 mutated SCC died of disease within 12months (range 2-24months) versus 0/13 patients with HPV-induced carcinomas and 0/14 patients with HPV-negative, TP53 wild-type carcinomas. CONCLUSION: 80% of primary invasive vulvar SCC were HPV-negative carcinomas with a high frequency of disruptive mutations and "hot spot" TP53 gene mutations, which have been linked to chemo- and radioresistance. The death rate of patients with p53 mutated vulvar cancers was 31%. Immunohistochemical p53 over expression could not reliably identify SCC with TP53 gene mutation. Pharmacological therapies targeting mutant p53 will be promising strategies for personalized therapy in patients with TP53 mutated vulvar cancers.

Understanding Primate Herpesviruses.

Viruses related to the herpes simplex viruses of humans are present in all nonhuman primate (NHP) species tested and cross species transmission has been documented. The herpesvirus present in macaques, Herpes B virus (BV) rarely causes disease in its natural macaque host. However, when transmitted to a nonnative host, BV has occasionally caused severe and even fatal disease if not treated immediately. Here we present a comprehensive review of the taxonomy, molecular biology, physiology, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of BV. We also summarizes what is known about related herpesviruses of other NHP species and the zoonotic potential of these viruses.

Comparison of different detection methods of monkey B virus antibody / 中国比较医学杂志

Objective Monkey B virus(BV), also known as Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1,is an important zoonotic pathogen.According to the national standard, antibodies are detected using BV as an antigen.However, the preparation of BV antigen is very stricted due to biosafety issues.Therefore, in this study, we used alternative antigens to detect the BV antibody by serological assay and verified their specifity and sensitivity.Methods A total of 135 blood samples from rhesus monkeys were tested by two ELISA method (BV and HVP2) and enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA)method.The positive and suspicious samples were verified by immuno-fluorescence assay (IFA), Western blot and immunoblotting technique using HSV-1 gC1 purified glycoprotein as an antigen.Results The positive rates of HVP2-ELISA, BV-ELISA and HSV-1-EIA were 32.6%, 37.8% and 34.8%, respectively.Consistant result of the three detection method accounted for 91.1% (123/135), and the positive result were confirmed by IFA And WB.There were 12 suspicious samples,in which 33.3% (4/12) were verified to be positive.Conclusions Compared with BV antigen, the sensitivity and specificity of the alternative antigen HSV-1 are moe close than HVP2.Positive and suspicious samples should be verified by several method to avoid missed detection.

A simultaneous derivatization of 3-monochloropropanediol and 1,3-dichloropropane with hexamethyldisilazane-trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate at room temperature for efficient analysis of food sample analysis.

This paper reports the application of hexamethyldisilazane-trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (HMDS-TMSOTf) for the simultaneous silylation of 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-dicholoropropanol (1,3-DCP) in solid and liquid food samples. 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP are chloropropanols that have been established as Group 2B carcinogens in clinical testing. They can be found in heat-processed food, especially when an extended high-temperature treatment is required. However, the current AOAC detection method is time-consuming and expensive. Thus, HMDS-TMSOTf was used in this study to provide a safer, and cost-effective alternative to the HFBI method. Three important steps are involved in the quantification of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP: extraction, derivatization and quantification. The optimization of the derivatization process, which involved focusing on the catalyst volume, derivatization temperature, and derivatization time was performed based on the findings obtained from both the Box-Behnken modeling and a real experimental set up. With the optimized conditions, the newly developed method was used for actual food sample quantification and the results were compared with those obtained via the standard AOAC method. The developed method required less samples and reagents but it could be used to achieve lower limits of quantification (0.0043mgL(-1) for 1,3-DCP and 0.0011mgL(-1) for 3-MCPD) and detection (0.0028mgL(-1) for 1,3-DCP and 0.0008mgL(-1) for 3-MCPD). All the detected concentrations are below the maximum tolerable limit of 0.02mgL(-1). The percentage of recovery obtained from food sample analysis was between 83% and 96%. The new procedure was validated with the AOAC method and showed a comparable performance. The HMDS-TMSOTf derivatization strategy is capable of simultaneously derivatizing 1,3-DCP and 3-MCPD at room temperature, and it also serves as a rapid, sensitive, and accurate analytical method for food samples analysis.

3-Chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) in Soy Sauce: A Review on the Formation, Reduction, and Detection of This Potential Carcinogen.

Soy sauce, a dark-colored seasoning, is added to enhance the sensory properties of foods. Soy sauce can be consumed as a condiment or added during the preparation of food. There are 3 types of soy sauce: fermented, acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein (acid- HVP), and mixtures of these. 3-Chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) is a heat-produced contaminants formed during the preparation of soy sauce and was found to be a by-product of acid-HVP-produced soy sauce in 1978. 3-MCPD has been reported to be carcinogenic, nephrotoxic, and reproductively toxic in laboratory animal testing and has been registered as a chemosterilant for rodent control. 3-MCPD is classified as a possible carcinogenic compound, and the maximum tolerated limit in food has been established at both national and international levels. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview on the detection of 3-MCPD in soy sauce, its toxic effects, and the potential methods to reduce its concentration, especially during the production of acid-HVP soy sauce. The methods of quantification are also critically reviewed with a focus on efficiency, suitability, and challenges encountered in analysis.

A single viral gene determines lethal cross-species neurovirulence of baboon herpesvirus HVP2.

Alpha-herpesviruses can produce more severe infections in non-natural host species than in their natural host. Isolates of the baboon alpha-herpesvirus Papiine herpesvirus 2 (HVP2) are either very neurovirulent in mice (subtype nv) or non-virulent (subtype ap), but no such difference is evident in the natural baboon host. Comparative genome sequencing was used to identify subtype-specific sequence differences (SSDs) between HVP2nv and HVP2ap isolates. Some genes were identified that despite exhibiting sequence variation among isolates did not have any SSDs, while other genes had comparatively high levels of SSDs. Construction of genomic recombinants between HVP2nv and HVP2ap isolates mapped the mouse neurovirulence determinant to within three genes. Construction of gene-specific recombinants demonstrated that the UL39 ORF is responsible for determining the lethal neurovirulence phenotype of HVP2 in mice. These results demonstrate that differences in a single viral gene can determine the severity of herpesvirus infection in a non-natural host species.

Photodynamic Therapy Combined with TCM External Treatment for 40 Cases of Verruca Acuminata / 浙江中医药大学学报

[Objective] To observe the cure effect of photodynamic therapy(PDT) combined with TCM on verruca acuminata. [Method] Select 80 cases of verruca acuminata, divide them into control group and treatment group, n=40 for each; the control one only took LE D-IB PDT therapeutic apparatus, the treatment one added with TCM on the base of control one; Observe their cure effects and side effects. [Result] The effective rate was 97.5% for treatment group, and 88.5% for control one, the treatment one was better than other one; there ’re 2 cases in each group respectively who had slight red and swol en skin of the il umination part, without side effects of erosion, ulcer, infection or scar;the recurrence rates were respectively 2.5% and 12.5% for both groups, the difference had statistical meaning. [Conclusion] PDT combined with TCM treating verruca acuminata had high cure rate, low recurrence rate, little side effects and high safety, without influencing patients ’life quality, with good compliance, worth clinical broad popularization.

The toxicity of 3-chloropropane-1,2-dipalmitate in Wistar rats and a metabonomics analysis of rat urine by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol(3-MCPD) fatty acid esters can release free 3-MCPD in a certain condition. Free 3-MCPD is a well-known food contaminant and is toxicological well characterized, however, in contrast to free 3-MCPD, the toxicological characterization of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters is puzzling. In this study, toxicological and metabonomics studies of 3-chloropropane-1,2-dipalmitate(3-MCPD dipalmitate) were carried out based on an acute oral toxicity test, a 90-day feeding test and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) analysis. The LD50 value of 3-MCPD dipalmitate was determined to be 1780 mg/kg body weight (bw) for Wistar rats. The results of the 90-day feeding test in male Wistar rats showed that 3-MCPD dipalmitate caused a significant increase in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine in the high-dose group (267 mg/kg bw/day) compared to control rats. Renal tubular epithelium cell degeneration and renal tubular hyaline cast accumulation were the major histopathological changes in rats administered 3-MCPD dipalmitate. Urine samples obtained after the 90-day feeding test and analyzed by UPLC-MS showed that the differences in metabolic profiles between control and treated rats were clearly distinguished by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of the chromatographic data. Five metabolite biomarkers which had earlier and significant variations had been identified, they were first considered to be the early, sensitive biomarkers in evaluating the effect of 3-MCPD dipalmitate exposure, and the possible mechanism of these biomarkers variation was elucidated. The combination of histopathological examination, clinical chemistry and metabolomics analyses in rats resulted in a systematic and comprehensive assessment of the long-term toxicity of 3-MCPD dipalmitate.

Toxicology, occurrence and risk characterisation of the chloropropanols in food: 2-monochloro-1,3-propanediol, 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol.

Great attention has been paid to chloropropanols like 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol and the related substance glycidol due to their presence in food and concerns about their toxic potential as carcinogens. The other chloropropanols 2-monochloro-1,3-propanediol, 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol have been found in certain foods, but occurrence data are generally limited for these compounds. 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol has the most toxicological relevance showing clear carcinogenic effects in rats possibly via a genotoxic mechanism. The dietary exposure to 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol is quite low. Calculated "Margins of Exposure" values are above 10,000. It is concluded that the 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol exposure is of low concern for human health. The toxicology of 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol has not been adequately investigated. Its toxicological potential regarding hepatotoxic effects seems to be lower than that of 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol. Limited data show that 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol occurs only in trace amounts in food, indicating that exposure to 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol seems to be also of low concern for human health. The dietary 2-monochloro-1,3-propanediol burden appears to be lower than that of 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol. An adequate risk assessment for 2-monochloro-1,3-propanediol cannot be performed due to limited data on the toxicology and occurrence in food. This article reviews the relevant information about the toxicology, occurrence and dietary exposure to the chloropropanols 2-monochloro-1,3-propanediol, 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol.