title: Biomonitoring of ochratoxin A in blood plasma and exposure assessment of adult students in Bangladesh.
abstract: METHODS
  Ochratoxin A (OTA), a mycotoxin known for its nephrotoxic, immunotoxic, and carcinogenic effects in animals, deserves attention due to its widespread occurrence as food and feed contaminant. Studies in many countries report the presence of OTA in human blood plasma or serum at variable levels. However, no biomonitoring study has been carried out in so far, and also food analysis data are insufficient to assess OTA exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Therefore, 64 blood samples were collected from healthy university students (32 female, 32 male) in Bangladesh for biomarker analysis. OTA and its metabolite ochratoxin alpha were determined in the plasma samples by a validated method using HPLC-fluorescence analysis. After liquid-liquid extraction, OTA was detected in all plasma samples (100%) at a range of 0.20-6.63 ng/mL and ochratoxin alpha was detected in 95% of the samples at 0.10-0.79 ng/mL. The OTA mean level in plasma of males (0.92 ± 1.09 ng/mL) and females (0.78 ± 1.02) were not significantly different. Statistical analysis of food consumption data for the participants, provided in a food frequency questionnaire, did not reveal a significant association between OTA level in plasma and their intake of typical staple foods (rice, wheat, maize, and lentil).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The dietary intake of OTA (mean 11.7, max 91.7 ng/kg b.w./wk) calculated on the basis of plasma concentration in Bangladeshi students was lower than the tolerable weekly OTA intake (120 ng/kg b.w./wk) set by EFSA. Nonetheless, further biomonitoring is recommended in cohorts from other parts of the country that may have higher mycotoxin exposure than the present group.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo) at TU Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany; Department of Biochemistry, Gonoshasthaya Samaj Vittik Medical College and Hospital, Gono University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Nurshad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Meinolf
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blaszkewicz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manirujjaman
authors.forename: Rasheda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perveen
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al Nahid
authors.forename: Shakil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.forename: Mustafizur
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: Gisela H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Degen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001459:Bangladesh; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000097:blood*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013334:Students; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009793:Ochratoxins; C000426:5-chloro-8-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-3-methylisocoumarin-7-carboxylic acid; C025589:ochratoxin A
keywords: Bangladesh; Exposure; Ochratoxin A; Ochratoxin alpha; Plasma