Acute renal failure from inhalation of mycotoxins

Nephron. 1993;64(4):621-5. doi: 10.1159/000187411.

Abstract

Mysterious deaths of archeologists after opening Egyptian tombs have been suspected to be secondary to inhalation of mycotoxin, however, the hypothesis has never been verified. Recently, we observed a case of acute renal failure (ARF) undeniably due to inhalation of ochratoxin of Aspergillus ochraceus. After spending 8 h in a granary which had been closed for several months, a farmer and his wife suffered temporary respiratory distress; 24 h later, the woman developed nonoliguric ARF and biopsy revealed tubulonecrosis which healed in 24 days. Toxic substances were not found, but a strain of A. ochraceus producing ochratoxin was isolated from the wheat.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / etiology*
  • Acute Kidney Injury / pathology
  • Administration, Inhalation
  • Agriculture
  • Animals
  • Aspergillus ochraceus / isolation & purification
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Occupational Diseases / etiology
  • Ochratoxins / adverse effects*
  • Ochratoxins / toxicity
  • Rabbits
  • Triticum / microbiology

Substances

  • Ochratoxins