An endemic nephropathy (EN) found in Eastern European farming communities appears to be caused by environmental exposure to the human carcinogen aristolochic acid (AA), a major component of an herb used in Chinese medicine, according to a study published online November 9 in Kidney International. Environmental exposure to AA in the Balkans can be traced to the plant Aristolochia, which invades the wheat crops harvested in the Balkans for grain and bakery production and is also used in Chinese herbal remedies. Some people have been sickened to the point of end-stage renal disease after ingesting Aristolochia fangchi directly as part of a weight-loss regimen.
