Human exposure to ochratoxin A in areas of Yugoslavia with endemic nephropathy.
Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin with pronounced nephrotoxic potency in all species of single-stomach animals studied; it is a major disease determinant of porcine nephropathy and a disease occurring endemically in several countries. This disease is comparable with Balkan (endemic) nephropathy, suggesting a common causal relationship. Ochratoxin A has been found in foodstuffs in many countries, but the highest frequency of ochratoxin A contamination in foods (10.3% of 1,553 samples of foodstuffs) was encountered in an area of Yugoslavia, where Balkan (endemic) nephropathy is prevalent. Detection of ochratoxin A in human blood samples confirmed the prevalent exposure to this food contaminant. Relative risk calculations indicated a tendency to an association between this mycotoxin and Balkan (endemic) nephropathy, supporting the hypothesis of a causal role of ochratoxin A in this disease.
Plestina
R
R
Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
Ceović
S
S
Gatenbeck
S
S
Habazin-Novak
V
V
Hult
K
K
Hökby
E
E
Krogh
P
P
Radić
B
B
D001449:Balkan Nephropathy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003710:Demography; D006801:Humans; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000097:blood*; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000097:blood* / Q000506:poisoning; D012307:Risk Factors; D015022:Yugoslavia
D009183:Mycotoxins; D009793:Ochratoxins; C025589:ochratoxin A