Omar, S., Hassan, E., Mohamed, M., Abou-Gouneime, S. (2006). Serum Level of Aflatoxin B1 in Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients in Alexandria, Egypt, with or without Cirrhosis and HCC. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 36(4), 1037-1046. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2006.153591
Sherif R. Omar; Ezzat M. Hassan; Magdy A. Mohamed; Suzan A. Abou-Gouneime. "Serum Level of Aflatoxin B1 in Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients in Alexandria, Egypt, with or without Cirrhosis and HCC". Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 36, 4, 2006, 1037-1046. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2006.153591
Omar, S., Hassan, E., Mohamed, M., Abou-Gouneime, S. (2006). 'Serum Level of Aflatoxin B1 in Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients in Alexandria, Egypt, with or without Cirrhosis and HCC', Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 36(4), pp. 1037-1046. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2006.153591
Omar, S., Hassan, E., Mohamed, M., Abou-Gouneime, S. Serum Level of Aflatoxin B1 in Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients in Alexandria, Egypt, with or without Cirrhosis and HCC. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 2006; 36(4): 1037-1046. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2006.153591
Serum Level of Aflatoxin B1 in Hepatitis C Virus Infected Patients in Alexandria, Egypt, with or without Cirrhosis and HCC
1Tropical Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, University of Alexandria, Egypt
2Clinical Pathology Department, Alexandria University Student Hospital, Egypt
3Internal Medicine Department, Alexandria University Student Hospital, Egypt
Abstract
Objective: To study the relation between serum level of Aflatoxin B1 [AFB1] and Hepatitis C Virus [HCV] infection with or without complications, i.e., cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma [HCC]. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study included 270 patients attending the University of Alexandria Student Hospital, divided into two groups: first group [n=135] HCV seropositive with raised liver enzymes [ALT & AST], 58 of them are proved to be cirrhotic by ultra-sound, 14 of them suffer HCC. Comparative second group [n=135] are HCV seronegative, randomly chosen and matched with the other group. Both groups were questioned, clinically examined and serum level of AFB1 was measured using the indirect ELISA technique. Results: Mean serum level of AFB1 among HCV cases was significantly much higher than controls [358.1±394.6 ng/ml] vs. [129.5±169.3 ng/ml], p=0.000. Mean serum level of AFB1 was higher in cases suffer HCC than cirrhotic patients and than HCV non-cirrhotic patients [618.1±667.7, 460.4±486.0 and 281.0±288.7 ng/ml, respectively. There was no relation between serum level of AFB1 and Sex, age, residence, socioeconomic level, and liver enzymes level in both groups. Conclusion: HCV infected individuals are facing a great risk to develop long term hepatic complications especially HCC, AFB1 exposure as a known carcinogen is an additional risk. Strict national measures against Aflatoxin contamination of food are to be considered in countries with high prevalence of hepatic virus C and B as well.