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.