Progress in respiratory toxicity of polyhexamethyleneguaidine disinfectant and mechanism exploration

Abstract

Polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) is a high molecular guanidine compound with a broad spectrum of antibacterial effects. Since the outbreak of the 'humidifier disinfectant-induced lung injury' event in South Korea, the respiratory toxicity of PHMG had become a public concern. An epidemiological survey in Korea found that PHMG-containing disinfectants were an important risk factor for pulmonary fibrosis. Animal experiments also showed that the exposure to PHMG through the respiratory tract could cause irreversible fibrosis in the lungs. TGF-β signaling pathway, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and pulmonary inflammation might be the main pathways that could mediate PHMG-induced pulmonary fibrosis. This article provided an overview of the characteristics of population exposure to PHMG and research progress in the field of respiratory toxicology and recommendations for the rational and standard of using PHMG-related products in China.