Detection of Mycotoxins In Patients With CFS (93% Positive), 2013, Brewer et al

DigitalDrifter · Jun 6, 2021

Over the past 20 years, exposure to mycotoxin producing mold has been recognized as a significant health risk. Scientific literature has demonstrated mycotoxins as possible causes of human disease in water-damaged buildings (WDB). This study was conducted to determine if selected mycotoxins could be identified in human urine from patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Patients (n = 112) with a prior diagnosis of CFS were evaluated for mold exposure and the presence of mycotoxins in their urine. Urine was tested for aflatoxins (AT), ochratoxin A (OTA) and macrocyclic trichothecenes (MT) using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA). Urine specimens from 104 of 112 patients (93%) were positive for at least one mycotoxin (one in the equivocal range). Almost 30% of the cases had more than one mycotoxin present. OTA was the most prevalent mycotoxin detected (83%) with MT as the next most common (44%). Exposure histories indicated current and/or past exposure to WDB in over 90% of cases. Environmental testing was performed in the WDB from a subset of these patients. This testing revealed the presence of potentially mycotoxin producing mold species and mycotoxins in the environment of the WDB. Prior testing in a healthy control population with no history of exposure to a WDB or moldy environment (n = 55) by the same laboratory, utilizing the same methods, revealed no positive cases at the limits of detection.
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23580077/

I don't know what criteria they used but it seems interesting that such a high percentage tested positive for mould. Question is, is this a cause or an effect?

Milo · Jun 6, 2021

Why didn’t they assess living family members of the patients, to compare the environmental exposure, someone in the same household that does not live with ME?

Note: this is not a new paper, this is 2013

Subtropical Island · Jun 7, 2021

Prior testing in a healthy control population with no history of exposure to a WDB or moldy environment (n = 55) by the same laboratory, utilizing the same methods, revealed no positive cases at the limits of detection.
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the “control” was required to have no history of mold exposure. Probably no such requirement for CFS patients tested. Not a good control then.

Subtropical Island · Jun 7, 2021

Anyone know: Did Brewer et al go on to do more with this finding since? They’ve had a decade.

dreampop · Jun 7, 2021

Several responses to the paper....

The paper by Brewer et al. entitled “Detection of Mycotoxins in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Toxins 2013, 5, 605–617” is so methodologically flawed that it should never have been published in the scientific literature [1].
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https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/8/11/322/htm

Whatever the detection methods are, the results seem common in the general population.

Human biomonitoring of multiple mycotoxins in the Belgian population: Results of the BIOMYCO study

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26233555/

I have serious questions about the significance of mycotoxin testing, but don't really know enough to comment further.

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Detection of Mycotoxins In Patients With CFS (93% Positive), 2013, Brewer et al

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