High blood and urine concentration of hepatotoxic mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, sterigmatocystin) in patients with liver cirrhosis
Huţanaşu, C.; Sfarti, C.; Trifan, A.; Cojocariu, C.; Spac, A.; Apostu, M.; Miron, L.; Dorneanu, V.; Stanciu, C.
Revista Medico-Chirurgicala a Societatii de Medici Si Naturalisti Din Iasi 113(1): 59-63
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 0048-7848 PMID: 21495297 Document Number: 633201
Aflatoxins and sterigmatocystin are potent carcinogens, certainly involved in pathogenesis of liver cancer. To evaluate the risk of mycotoxin intake and to determine the presence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and sterigmatocystin (STC) in patients with liver cirrhosis. The study included 92 patients (33 controls, 59 liver cirrhosis) that completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Blood and urine samples were collected and mycotoxins determined by high performance liquid chromatography. 18.18% samples in controls and 72.88% in cirrhosis group presented detectable levels of mycotoxins. The mean values of AFB1 in blood were 0.7 ng/mL in controls and 1.67 ng/mL in test group (p = 0.11); STC presented 60 times higher levels in second group (p < 0.01). AFB1 presented a mean level of 1.2 ng/mL in urine of test group (not detected in controls); STC presented 256 time higher concentration in urine of cirrhotic patients, with a perfect correlation between blood and urine levels in control (r=1) and no correlation in test group (r = 0.05). There were no correlations between mycotoxin, liver enzymes, alpha-fetoprotein and mycotoxin intake risk estimated by FFQ. Most of the patients presented detectable levels of mycotoxins, significantly increased in cases with liver cirrhosis, probable due to a specific metabolic pattern.