The experimental and epidemiological data, although limited,
indicate that ZON, a-ZOL, b-ZOL, a-ZAL, b-ZAL and ZAN are able
to act as endocrine disruptors. Despite these data, studies in
humans are surprisingly lacking. This is the first study that evaluates
concentrations of ZON and its five metabolites in urine and
tries to correlate exposure to a-ZAL with risk of breast cancer.
ZON and its five metabolites were extracted from urine samples
by LLE and quantified by UHPLC-MS/MS in a case-control study
conducted in Tunisia. The magnitude of associations between
a-ZAL exposure and the risk of breast cancer were calculated by
unconditional logistic regression. A correlation between increased
risk of breast cancer and a-ZAL concentrations was found (adjusted
OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.10–2.77). The obtained results suggest a
potential role of a-ZAL in the risk of developing breast cancer.
Further research on human exposure to mycotoxins and its
association to breast cancer is needed to clarify and understand
the role of mycoestrogens in breast cancer.