Ahsan H, Wang L Y, Chen C J, Tsai W Y, Santella R M
Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Aug;109(8):833-7. doi: 10.1289/ehp.01109833.
Exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), an important cofactor in the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan, is influenced by dietary and other factors. The present study examined the intraindividual variability in AFB1-albumin adducts, the most reliable long-term biomarker of AFB1 exposure, and whether the baseline or follow-up adduct levels and the intraindividual variability in adduct levels are modified by endogenous and environmental factors. The study measured AFB1-albumin adduct levels among 264 healthy male residents of three townships (Hu-Hsi, Ma-Kung, and Pai-Hsa) of Penghu Islets, Taiwan, at two different time points with a median interval of 1.68 years (range 1.00-3.17 years). There was a generalized reduction in the adduct levels, with the median values being 22.1 pmol/mg (range 5.0-355.8 pmol/mg) at time 1 and 14.3 pmol/mg (range 5.0-205.2 pmol/mg) at time 2. This intraindividual variability in adduct levels was inversely associated with the age of subjects and the time interval between the two blood draws. The variability in adduct levels was lower among subjects in Hu-Hsi and Pai-Hsa townships as compared to those in Ma-Kung. No significant association was observed for the intraindividual variability in AFB1-albumin adducts with regard to the season when blood was drawn. There was also no significant association between intraindividual variability and hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), glutathione S-transferase (GST) M1, or GSTT1 status. In conclusion, we found substantial intraindividual variability in the AFB1 exposure (as determined by AFB1-albumin adducts) in Taiwan, which was probably more likely related to dietary or other environmental influences rather than to endogenous factors (e.g., hepatitis B/C viral infection or GST M1/T1 genetic status).
黄曲霉毒素B1（AFB1）是台湾地区肝细胞癌病因中的一个重要辅助因素，其暴露受饮食和其他因素影响。本研究检测了AFB1 - 白蛋白加合物（AFB1暴露最可靠的长期生物标志物）的个体内变异性，以及内源性和环境因素是否会改变基线或随访时的加合物水平及加合物水平的个体内变异性。该研究在台湾澎湖列岛三个乡镇（湖西、马公和白沙）的264名健康男性居民中，于两个不同时间点测量了AFB1 - 白蛋白加合物水平，两个时间点的中位间隔为1.68年（范围1.00 - 3.17年）。加合物水平普遍降低，时间1的中位数为22.1 pmol/mg（范围5.0 - 355.8 pmol/mg），时间2的中位数为14.3 pmol/mg（范围5.0 - 205.2 pmol/mg）。加合物水平的个体内变异性与受试者年龄及两次采血的时间间隔呈负相关。与马公镇的受试者相比，湖西和白沙乡镇受试者的加合物水平变异性较低。未观察到AFB1 - 白蛋白加合物个体内变异性与采血季节之间存在显著关联。个体内变异性与乙肝表面抗原、抗丙型肝炎病毒（抗 - HCV）、谷胱甘肽S - 转移酶（GST）M1或GSTT1状态之间也无显著关联。总之，我们发现台湾地区AFB1暴露（由AFB1 - 白蛋白加合物确定）存在显著的个体内变异性，这可能更可能与饮食或其他环境影响有关，而非内源性因素（如乙肝/丙肝病毒感染或GST M1/T1基因状态）。
