title: Quantitation of Aristolochic Acids in Corn, Wheat Grain, and Soil Samples Collected in Serbia: Identifying a Novel Exposure Pathway in the Etiology of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy.
abstract: While to date investigations provided convincing evidence on the role of aristolochic acids (AAs) in the etiology of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) and upper urothelial cancer (UUC), the exposure pathways by which AAs enter human bodies to cause BEN and UUC remain obscure. The goal of this study is to test the hypothesis that environmental pollution by AAs and root uptake of AAs in the polluted soil may be one of the pathways by which AAs enter the human food chain. The hypothesis driving this study was that the decay of Aristolochia clematitis L., a AA-containing herbaceous plant that is found growing widespread in the endemic regions, could release free AAs to the soil, which could be taken up by food crops growing nearby, thereby transferring this potent human nephrotoxin and carcinogen into their edible parts. Using the highly sensitive and selective high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection method, we identified and quantitated in this study for the first time AAs in corn, wheat grain, and soil samples collected from the endemic village Kutles in Serbia. Our results provide the first direct evidence that food crops and soil in the Balkans are contaminated with AAs. It is possible that the presence of AAs in edible parts of crops originating from the AA-contaminated soil could be one of the major pathways by which humans become exposed to AAs.
authors.forename: Wan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Serbian Medical Society , Branch Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Nikola M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Pavlović
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chi-Kong
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kailin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Yinan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Forensic Medicine Medical Faculty, University of Niš , 18000 Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Milosavljević
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Nephrology, Clinical Center Niš , 18000 Niš, Serbia.
authors.forename: Emina N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Kostić
mesh_terms: D030022:Aristolochia / Q000737:chemistry*; D034341:Aristolochic Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D001449:Balkan Nephropathy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D055771:Serbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D034341:Aristolochic Acids; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Balkan endemic nephropathy; aristolochic acid nephropathy; aristolochic acids; exposure pathways; root uptake; upper urothelial cancer