[Trichothecenes in staple food from a high-incidence area of carcinoma of the esophagus and gastric cardia and their carcinogenic potential].

This is the first report to demonstrate the presence of a group of mycotoxins in corn-staple food of Linxian residents, including Nivalenoal (NIV), Deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (15-ADON), T-2 toxin (these 5 toxins belong to trichothecenes) and zearalenone (ZEN). These 6 toxins were produced by Fusarium species. Using TLC, HPLC, GC, monoclonal antibody affinity column chromatography combined with RIA, respectively, 107 corn samples from Linxian and 2 rice samples from USA were analyzed. It was demonstrated that the average level of NIV was 757 +/- 707(54-2,760)ng/g, DON was 5,376 +/- 4,460 (360-12,670) ng/g with 100% positivity in corn samples consumed as staple food by esophageal cancer patients and their families. Corn samples collected from 5 villages in Linxian at different seasons in 1984-1986 all showed high levels of NIV and DON with 100% positivity which suggested that NIV and DON were consistently and widely existed in Linxian corn samples. Levels of 3-ADON and 15-ADON in Linxian corn were 113 +/- 57 and 495 +/- 538 ng/g. This paper also first demonstrates that the extracts of corn from esophageal cancer patients' families and their NIV and DON fractions purified by HPLC could induce significant chromosome aberrations in V79 cells, indicating that they had carcinogenic potential. Pure toxins of NIV, DON, T-2 and 3-ADON could induce chromosome aberrations in V79 cells starting from 1 ng/ml-a very low concentration. When concentrations increased to certain range they all showed toxic effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)