[Aflatoxin contamination of food: additional risk factor for chronic liver diseases].
Aflatoxins are over all spread toxic metabolites of fungi, able to induce chronic liver damages.


OBJECTIVE
To establish the correlation between the degree of liver disease and risk of chronic intake of aflatoxin contaminated foods.


METHODS
123 patients divided in three groups (controls, chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis) completed a food frequency questionaire (FFQ) estimating the intake risk of foods with a high potential of contamination with aflatoxins and alcohol consumption.


RESULTS
Frequent intake of high risk foodstuff was declared by 37% of the participants, without any differences between the three groups. Foods with a very high risk of contamination were more frequently consumed in rural areas (predominant maize and oily seeds), while in the urban areas spices and coffee prevailed. In countryside, the feeding risk decreased with the gravity of liver disease, but alcohol consumption was significantly greater.


CONCLUSIONS
FFQ revealed a high risk of ingestion of aflatoxin contaminated foodstuff in general population, greater in rural areas. The risk of aflatoxin intake seems unreleated with the gravity of chronic liver disease.
Huţanaşu
C
C
Facultatea de Medicină, Institutul de Gastroenterologie si Hepatologie, Universitatea de Medicină si Farmacie "Gr.T. Popa" Iaşi.
Sfarti
C
C
Trifan
Anca
A
Huţanaşu
Mihaela
M
Stanciu
C
C
D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology; D003069:Coffee / Q000009:adverse effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D011042:Poisons / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003313:Zea mays / Q000009:adverse effects
D000348:Aflatoxins; D003069:Coffee; D011042:Poisons