Association Between Aflatoxin B1 Albumin Adduct Levels and Tuberculosis Infection Among HIV+ Ghanaians

Background: Aflatoxin exposure has been shown to cause cell-mediated immune suppression and enhance HIV viral replication. Such immune suppression from aflatoxin can impair resistance to both infectious diseases and chronic infections.Methods: Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and a test for trend for opportunistic infections OI) among 141 HIV positive Ghanaians based on quartiles of aflatoxin B1 albumin adduct levels (AF-ALB) were calculated.Findings: HRs were significantly higher for developing symptomatic TB (HR 3.30, 95% CI 1.34-8.11) for those in the highest AF-ALB quartile compared to the lowest. Significantly higher HRs were not observed for other infections investigated.Conclusions: Those with the highest levels AF-ALB from dietary intake have an increased hazard of symptomatic TB but not malaria, HBV, or pneumonia.

Author(s): John Keenan, Pauline Jolly, Peter Preko, Joseph Baidoo, Jia-Sheng Wang, Timothy D Phillips, Jonathan H Williams, Gerald McGwin

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