Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health
Abstract
Healthy blood donors from the city of Zagreb were checked for the presence of a nephrotoxic mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) in the plasma. Samples of blood were collected in June, September, and December 1997, and March 1998, totalling 200 or 50 in each round. The concentrations of OTA were measured using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method (detection limit 0.2 ng OTA/ml of plasma). The frequency of OTA-positive samples (>0.2 ng/ml of plasma) showed significant seasonal variation (P<0.001). The frequency of OTA-positive samples was the highest in March (65%) and it gradually decreased towards December (12%). The high frequency of positive samples coincided with seasons favouring growth of moulds and production of toxins. The daily intake of OTA by healthy persons in Zagreb was estimated from the mean concentration of OTA in samples collected during the whole year (0.19 ng OTA/ml plasma). The estimated daily intake was 0.26 ng/kg b.w., that is, substantially below the tolerable daily intake proposed by World Health Organization (16.0 ng/kg b.w.).Prisutnost okratoksina A (OTA) mjerena je u plazmi zdravog stanovništva u Zagrebu. U ožujku, lipnju, rujnu i prosincu skupljeno je po 50 uzoraka krvi. Koncentracija OTA odre|ena je visokotlačnom tekućinskom kromatografijom uz granicu detekcije od 0.2 ng/ml plazme. Učestalost uzoraka iznad detekcijske granice bila je različita u različitim godišnjim dobima (hi-kvadrat2-test, P<0,001). Učestalost uzoraka s koncentracijom OTA iznad granice detekcije bila je najveća u ožujku (65%) te je postepeno opadala do prosinca (12%). Najveći postotak uzoraka s OTA iznad detekcijske granice uzorkovan je u onim mjesecima koji pogoduju rastu plijesni i sintezi mikotoksina. Dnevni unos OTA u zdravih stanovnika grada Zagreba procijenjen je iz srednje koncentracije u svim uzorcima plazme (0,19 ng/ml). Procijenjeni dnevni unos OTA u gradu Zagrebu je 0,26 ng/kg tj. t., odnosno mnogo je manji od granične vrijednosti od 16,0 ng/kg tj. t. što ga je predložila Svjetska zdravstvena organizacija
