Aflatoxin and liver cancer in Sudan

Abstract

This study investigated whether aflatoxin contamination of peanut products may contribute to the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Sudan. Thirty-seven peanut butter and peanut samples were collected from local markets. Aflatoxin concentrations were significantly higher in West Sudan [87.4 +/- 197.3 (SD) micrograms/kg], a high-risk area, than in Central Sudan (8.5 +/- 6.8 micrograms/kg), a low-risk area. In West Sudan, humid local storage conditions of peanut products were related to high aflatoxin concentrations. In a small case-control study of HCC patients (n = 24) and controls (n = 34), an odds ratio of 7.5 (95% confidence interval = 1.4-40.2) was observed for humid vs. dry local storage conditions. Development of an index of individual HCC exposure was less successful, probably because of year-to-year variability in aflatoxins in food. These preliminary findings justify further research into the role of aflatoxins and hepatitis in HCC incidence in Sudan.

249ser TP53 mutation in plasma DNA, hepatitis B viral infection, and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma

“…However, most studies of aflatoxin/HBV interactions were limited in evaluating joint effects since the populations studied consisted almost exclusively of HBV carriers Wang et al, 1996;Sun et al, 1999). Previous studies in Africa are limited to ecological studies comparing regional HCC rates to estimated aflatoxin intake (Autrup et al, 1987;Omer et al, 1998;van Rensburg et al, 1990). Three small case-control studies of HCC in Africa have assessed aflatoxin exposure at the individual level, with equivocal results (Olubuyide et al, 1993;Mandishona et al, 1998;Omer et al, 2001).…”

Prevalence and potential for aflatoxin contamination in groundnuts and peanut butter from farmers and traders in Nairobi and Nyanza provinces of Kenya

“…Mutegi et al (2012) reported A. flavus L-strain, A. flavus S-strain, and A. niger as the major fungal pathogens infecting groundnuts and groundnut products from Busia and Homa Bay districts in Western Kenya. Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin have been reported in groundnuts in Sudan (Omer, 2001;Omer et al, 2001) and Egypt (Abdelhamid, 1990) and in peanut butter in Sudan (Eshafie et al, 2011).Aspergillus flavus, the main producer of aflatoxin, only grows in groundnuts when the moisture content exceeds 9% and has optimum growth conditions of between 25 and 30 o C, and water activity of 0.99 with a minimum of 0.83aw, while production of aflatoxin occurs optimally at 25 o C and 0.99aw with a minimum of 0.87aw (Ribeiro et al, 2006). The warm and humid environmental conditions in Africa are ideal for growth of A. flavus making aflatoxin contamination of food, including groundnuts, a widespread problem across the continent (Gordon, 2003;Bankole et al, 2006;Wagacha & Muthomi, 2008).…”

Epidemiology of Aflatoxin Exposure and Human Liver Cancer

“…Peanut butter consumption conferred no increased risk in central Sudan, but a very high risk in western Sudan (OR in the highest quartile, 8.7). Aflatoxin contamination of peanut butter was found to be a much greater problem in western Sudan than in central Sudan (Omer et al, 1998). The authors also noted, however, that residents of the two regions are ethnically different, so effect modification by unmeasured genetic or environmental factors cannot be excluded.…”

“…Thus, the very different types of analysis all pointed to an association between urinary AF and HCC. Omer et al (1998) carried out a comparison of AF contamination of peanut products in two areas of Sudan. The study was carried out in 1995 and involved selection of peanut butter samples from local markets using a staged sampling approach to identify markets in the two study areas.…”