title: Association of high viral load and abnormal liver function with high aflatoxin B1-albumin adduct levels in HIV-positive Ghanaians: preliminary observations.
abstract: We examined the association between certain clinical factors and aflatoxin B(1)-albumin adduct (AF-ALB) levels in HIV-positive people. Plasma samples collected from 314 (155 HIV-positive and 159 HIV-negative) people were tested for AF-ALB levels, viral load, CD4+ T-cell count, liver function profile, malaria parasitaemia, and hepatitis B and C virus infections. HIV-positive participants were divided into high and low groups based on their median AF-ALB of 0.93 pmol mg(-1) albumin and multivariable logistic and linear regression methods used to assess relationships between clinical conditions and AF-ALB levels. Multivariable logistic regression showed statistically significant increased odds of having higher HIV viral loads (OR=2.84; 95% CI=1.17-7.78) and higher direct bilirubin levels (OR=5.47; 95% CI=1.03-22.85) among HIV-positive participants in the high AF-ALB group. There were also higher levels of total bilirubin and lower levels of albumin in association with high AF-ALB. Thus, aflatoxin exposure may contribute to high viral loads and abnormal liver function in HIV-positive people and so promote disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. jollyp@uab.edu
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Jolly
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Shuaib
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Preko
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baidoo
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Stiles
authors.forename: J-S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016604:Aflatoxin B1