title: Dietary intake of aflatoxins and the level of albumin-bound aflatoxin in peripheral blood in The Gambia, West Africa.
abstract: Aflatoxin is implicated as a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma in areas of the world with a high incidence of this tumor. The present study was designed to validate the use of aflatoxin-albumin adducts in peripheral blood as a measure of individual exposure to this carcinogen. Dietary intake of aflatoxin was measured at the individual level in 20 residents of Keneba, West Kiang, The Gambia, over a 7-day period and correlated with the level of aflatoxin bound to peripheral blood albumin at the beginning and end of the study. Complementary enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence techniques were used to assay the aflatoxin adducts. All subjects were exposed to aflatoxin originating from several food types, with an average daily intake of 1.4 micrograms/day. A significant correlation (r = 0.55; P = < 0.05) was observed between the dietary intake and the level of albumin-bound aflatoxin at the end of the study. In addition, a good agreement was obtained with the two analytical techniques. A comparison of matched chronic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers with noncarriers did not reveal any difference in adduct formation for a given dietary intake of aflatoxin. These studies demonstrate the validity of aflatoxin-albumin adducts as a marker of human exposure to this carcinogen.
authors.affiliation: International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Wild
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sabbioni
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chapot
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Wogan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whittle
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montesano
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Groopman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005504:Food Analysis; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011485:Protein Binding; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins; D015415:Biomarkers; D012709:Serum Albumin