Food and Health Research Centre, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2012;29(6):962-71. doi: 10.1080/19440049.2012.658442. Epub 2012 Mar 1.
Mycotoxins such as the aflatoxins and deoxynivalenol (DON) are frequent contaminants of food. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and DON affect the immune system and restrict growth; additionally AFB1 is carcinogenic. To date there are limited descriptive biomarker data concerning maternal exposures during pregnancy, and none on co-exposures to these mycotoxins. This survey was a cross-sectional assessment providing descriptive data on the concentrations of serum aflatoxin-albumin (AF-alb), urinary aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), and urinary DON for 98 pregnant women from Egypt, in relation to diet and socioeconomic status, during the third trimester. AF-alb was detected in 34 of 98 (35%) samples, geometric mean (GM) of positives = 4.9 pg AF-lys mg(-1) albumin (95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.1-5.8 pg mg(-1)), and AFM1 in 44 of 93 (48%) samples, GM of positives = 19.7 pg mg(-1) creatinine (95%CI = 14.8-26.3 pg mg(-1)). AF-alb and AFM1 levels were positively correlated (R = 0.276, p = 0.007). DON was detected in 63 of 93 (68%), GM of positives = 2.8 ng mg(-1) (95%CI = 2.1-3.6 ng mg(-1)). Aflatoxin and DON biomarkers were observed in 41% of the subjects concurrently. The frequency and level of these biomarkers in Egyptian women were modest compared with known high-risk countries. However, this study represents the first biomarker survey to report on the occurrence of DON biomarkers in an African population, in addition to the co-occurrence of these two potent mycotoxins. This combined exposure may be of particular concern during pregnancy given the potential of toxin transfer to the foetus.
真菌毒素如黄曲霉毒素和脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇（DON）是食品中常见的污染物。黄曲霉毒素 B1（AFB1）和 DON 会影响免疫系统并限制生长；此外，AFB1 具有致癌性。迄今为止，有关孕妇在怀孕期间接触这些真菌毒素的描述性生物标志物数据有限，而关于这些真菌毒素同时暴露的情况则没有任何数据。这项调查是一项横断面评估，为 98 名来自埃及的孕妇在妊娠晚期的血清黄曲霉毒素白蛋白（AF-alb）、尿液黄曲霉 M1（AFM1）和尿液 DON 浓度提供了描述性数据，这些数据与饮食和社会经济状况有关。在 98 个样本中的 34 个（35%）中检测到 AF-alb，阳性的几何平均值（GM）= 4.9 pg AF-lys mg（-1）（95%置信区间（CI）= 4.1-5.8 pg mg（-1）），在 93 个样本中的 44 个（48%）中检测到 AFM1，阳性的 GM = 19.7 pg mg（-1）肌酐（95%CI = 14.8-26.3 pg mg（-1））。AF-alb 和 AFM1 水平呈正相关（R = 0.276，p = 0.007）。在 93 个样本中的 63 个（68%）中检测到 DON，阳性的 GM = 2.8 ng mg（-1）（95%CI = 2.1-3.6 ng mg（-1））。在 41%的研究对象中同时观察到了这两种生物标志物。与已知的高风险国家相比，埃及女性的这些生物标志物的频率和水平都较低。然而，这项研究是首次报告非洲人群中 DON 生物标志物的出现，以及这两种强真菌毒素的同时出现。鉴于毒素向胎儿转移的可能性，这种联合暴露在怀孕期间可能特别令人关注。
