Echodu Richard, Edema Hilary, Malinga Geoffrey Maxwell, Hendy Adam, Colebunders Robert, Moriku Kaducu Joyce, Ovuga Emilio, Haesaert Geert
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gulu University, P.O. Box 166, Gulu, Uganda.
Gulu University Bioscience Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 166, Gulu, Uganda.
BMC Res Notes. 2018 Sep 24;11(1):678. doi: 10.1186/s13104-018-3774-y.
Nodding syndrome (NS) is a type of epilepsy characterized by repeated head-nodding seizures that appear in previously healthy children between 3 and 18 years of age. In 2012, during a WHO International Meeting on NS in Kampala, Uganda, it was recommended that fungal contamination of foods should be investigated as a possible cause of the disease. We therefore aimed to assess whether consumption of fungal mycotoxins contributes to NS development.
We detected similar high levels of total aflatoxin and ochratoxin in mostly millet, sorghum, maize and groundnuts in both households with and without children with NS. Furthermore, there was no significant association between concentrations of total aflatoxin, ochratoxin and doxynivalenol and the presence of children with NS in households. In conclusion, our results show no supporting evidence for the association of NS with consumption of mycotoxins in contaminated foods.
点头综合征（NS）是一种癫痫类型，其特征为反复出现点头发作，多见于3至18岁之前健康的儿童。2012年，在乌干达坎帕拉举行的一次世卫组织点头综合征国际会议上，有人建议对食物的真菌污染进行调查，看其是否可能是该疾病的病因。因此，我们旨在评估食用真菌毒素是否会导致点头综合征的发生。
在有和没有患点头综合征儿童的家庭中，我们在大多数小米、高粱、玉米和花生中均检测到了含量相似的高浓度总黄曲霉毒素和赭曲霉毒素。此外，家庭中总黄曲霉毒素、赭曲霉毒素和脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇的浓度与患点头综合征儿童的存在之间没有显著关联。总之，我们的结果表明，没有支持点头综合征与食用受污染食物中的霉菌毒素有关联的证据。
