Alimentary’ toxic aleukia

Alimentary toxic aleukia Fusarium sporotrichioides, F. poae (T-2 toxin)... 

Severe disease known as alimentary toxic aleukia (ATA) occurred in humans who had eaten overwintered... 

The toxic effects of mycotoxins in humans have been reviewed by Peraica (Peraica et al, 1999). Toxins produced by F. sporotrichioides, with T-2 toxin believed to be the principal toxin, were implicated with the human disease alimentary toxic aleukia (ATA). Alimentary toxic aleukia was recognized prior to 1900 in the USSR, with thousands of people developing ATA and many dying after consuming cereals that overwintered in fields during and after World War II. 

Joffe, A.Z. (1974). Toxicity of Fusarium poae and F. sporo-trichioides and its relation to alimentary toxic aleukia. In Mycotoxins (I.F.H. Purchase, ed.), pp. 229-62. Elsevier, New York. 

Joffe, A.Z. (1983). Food home diseases alimentary toxic aleukia. In CRC Handbook of Food-borne Diseases of Biological... 

Lutsky, I., Mor, N., Yagen, B., Joffe, A.Z. (1978). The role of T-2 toxin in experimental alimentary toxic aleukia a toxicity study in cats. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 43 111-24. 

The toxic efiects of the 12,13-epoxytrichothecenes are associated with the more highly oxidized members such as T-2 toxin (9.8) and vomitoxin (deoxynivalenol) (9.6) together with their macrocychc esters. The symptoms of alimentary toxic aleukia in test animals (cats) were detected on administration of T-2 toxin at a level of 0.08 mg kg per day. Structure activity studies on T-2 toxin revealed a requirement for the presence of the 12,13-epoxide and the 9-ene. The compounds exert their activity by the inhibition of protein synthesis. The trichothecenes interfere with the peptidyl transferase in the ribosomes. 

Macrocyclic trichothecenes such as Satratoxin also were identified as causative toxicants. Since the 19th century, Alimentary Toxic Aleukia (ATA) or septic angina has been reported in the Soviet Union and symptoms of the disease were described as necrotic angina, leukopenia, hemorrhage, and exhaustion of bone marrow and death. 

Examples of mycotoxins include the ergot alkaloids produced when the ergot fungus grows on rye (responsible for outbreaks of a disease called ergotism, or St Anthony s Fire), trichothecanes produced by Fusarium species (associated with alimentary toxic aleukia fatalities in the Second World War) and the aflatoxins. 

Chronic exposure to subacute doses of trichothecene mycotoxins is not thought to be an effect of biological warfare. This type of exposure, however, was responsible for ATA toxicosis in humans and mycotoxicosis in domestic animals. In addition, chronic toxicity has been iatrogenically induced when repeated subacute doses of a trichothecene mycotoxin were administrated intravenously to cancer patients as a chemotherapy for colon adenocarcinoma. Alimentary Toxic Aleukia Toxicosis... 

Joffe AZ. Alimentary toxic aleukia. In Kadis S, Ciegler A, Ajl SJ, eds. Microbiol Toxins. Vol 7. In Algal and Fungal Toxins. New York, NY Academic Press 1971 139-189. 

Yagen B, Joffe AZ (1976) Screening of Toxic Isolates of Fusarium poae and Fusarium sporotrichioides Involved in Causing Alimentary Toxic Aleukia. Appl Environ Microbiol 32 423... 

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