Increase in aflatoxin exposure in two populations residing in East and West Texas, United States.

Although aflatoxin (AF) exposure has not been recognized as a major problem in the United States and other developed nations, recent global climate change may have a profound impact on distribution of toxigenic fungi growth and production of AFs in grain and groundnuts. Alterations in the contamination pattern can increase human dietary exposure, and further invoke public health concerns and associated disease risks. In this study, two populations from East and West Texas, known for their high risk of liver cancer, were examined for their AF exposure at three different time periods from 2004 to 2014. Serum samples (n = 1124) were collected from participants recruited for various studies from Bexar County and Lubbock County, TX, over the span of 2004 through 2014. The exposure biomarker, serum AFB-lysine adduct, was analyzed by HPLC-FLD and confirmed by LC-MS. Both populations showed a significant increase in detection rate, as well as median levels of serum AFB-lysine adduct over time, from 2.35 to 4.34 pg/mg albumin in East Texas (2007-2014), and 0.63-3.98 pg/mg albumin in West Texas (2004-2010). This observed shift in exposure likely represents a shift in the AF contamination pattern in the State of Texas, and may warrant further studies on risk assessment for the potential etiological effects of such increased exposures.