title: Aflatoxin exposure may not play a role in liver cancer development in Mongolia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Mongolia is growing at an alarming rate. Traditional dried food was suggested as the major reason for high HCC numbers, due to possible aflatoxin contamination during manufacturing. We thus aimed to measure aflatoxin concentrations in Mongolian food samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples of traditional Mongolian food ('aaruul', dried meat, and dried noodles; in total 11 samples) were collected and shipped to Germany. The food samples were analyzed for aflatoxins by extraction, immunoaffinity purification, and subsequent HPLC with fluorescence detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The traditional Mongolian food samples did not contain any detectable amounts of aflatoxin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since Mongolian food does not contain aflatoxins, the cause for the increasing HCC incidence in Mongolia is probably due to a high prevalence of viral hepatitides. Further studies to identify the reason for this development are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Hygiene, University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Popp
authors.forename: Tsagaan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gantumur
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Khand
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zorigt
authors.forename: Duger
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Davaadorj
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossburg
authors.forename: Jan-Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sowa
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canbay
mesh_terms: D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology*; D005504:Food Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D008986:Mongolia
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins