ANALYSIS OF OCHRATOXIN A IN SERUM AND URINE OF INHABITANTS FROM AN AREA WITH BALKAN ENDEMIC NEPHROPATHY: A ONE MONTH FOLLOW UP STUDY

Summary. In the 1950s a series of publications from Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Romania described a kidney disease occurring in geographically limited areas of these three Balkan countries. Several studies implicated a mycotoxin etiology, and particularly ochratoxin A. In Bulgaria, the exposure of populations to OTA was supported by a very high prevalence of OTA levels exceeding 2 ng/ml in the blood of affected population. OTA has also been found more often in the urine of people living in BEN-endemic villages than in those in non-endemic villages, and the highest levels were seen in patients with BEN or urinary tract tumors. In the present study we follow up the blood and urine OTA levels of some population from the Bulgarian high incidence area of BEN, not affected by any renal diseases. Samples were thus collected for one month, at the beginning of week one and then at the end of each week. This study strengthens our previous results and demonstrate that the population in the Balkans is more exposed to OTA than the general population in Europe.