RESUMO
This report provides an update on research on the toxic oil syndrome (TOS) since the last WHO review was published in 1992. Although it has been known since the late 1980s that the disease was caused by the consumption of illicitly refined rapeseed oil, it has been obvious for many years that a concerted scientific effort was needed to precisely identify the agent(s) responsible for the outbreak and to assess the pathogenesis and clinical evolution of the condition. Although many questions remain to be answered and no animal model for TOS has been identified, much knowledge has now been gained on the biological properties of chemicals found in the adulterated oil, on the pathogenesis of the disease and on the conditions by which the illegal refining might have produced toxic compounds. These investigations are relevant not only to protecting the health of TOS victims but also to preparedness for similar circumstances in the future.
