The role of ochratoxin A as a possible cause of Balkan endemic nephropathy and its risk evaluation.

This article presents evidences which support the mycotoxic hypothesis of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), examines the significance of human exposure to ochratoxin A (OTA) in BEN-endemic areas, and gives some ideas for future investigations. The morphological and ultrastructural similarity between OTA-induced mycotoxic porcine nephropathy (MPN) and BEN, epidemiological studies, and relationship between the incidence of BEN and the presence of OTA in human blood in contamination levels similar to those in pigs suffering from MPN suggest that OTA could be an etiological factor in BEN.