Exposure to Ochratoxin a in Europe: Comparison with a Region of Northern Spain

Abstract

Human exposure to Ochratoxin A (OTA) has been detected in Europe and various other countries by analysing human blood. With the aim of determining if such exposure also occurs in Spain, blood samples were collected from healthy donors and from patients undergoing haemodialysis from a region of northern Spain. OTA is routinely analysed by HPLC with fluorescence detection, after validation of the analytical method. The percentage of positive samples was 53.3% in healthy people (n=75), and 77.8% in patients (n=72) (Detection limit = 0.52 ng/ml of plasma). The mean concentration was 0.71 ng/ml for healthy people, and 1.97 ng/ml for the patients. The difference between the two values was statistically significant (p<0.001). After a multivariate adjustment by the multiple linear regression method, and taking into account potentially interfering effects of age, sex and month of extraction, significantly lower levels where found during the months of June and October. No variation depending on age or sex was detected. These results demonstrate that Spanish people as well are exposed to this mycotoxm, as occurs in some other countries, and that the toxin is accumulated in patients with kidney disorders. The plasma concentrations are similar to those of France or Italy and lower than in some other European countries.