Aflatoxin exposure in preschool-age children living in Cairo: a pilot study

ABSTRACT

The aim of this work was to study children exposure to aflatoxins in the preschool age. One hundred Egyptian children living in Cairo city were subjected to this study. The study children were 47 males and 53 females with a mean age of 3.58 +/- 1.72 years. They were randomly selected from apparently healthy children attending the NRC Child Health Clinic in follow up visits during the year 2001. Each child was assessed as regards medical history taking, anthropometric measurements, clinical examination and routine laboratory investigations. Dietary assessment utilizing questionnaires covering 24 hours recall and food consumption during a whole week was performed. Parental consent was taken. A 24 hours urine sample was collected from each child. Detection of aflatoxins or its metabolites in collected urine samples was performed with thin layer chromatography [TLC] and was determined with high performance liquid chromatography [HPLC]. The results obtained showed the presence of one or more aflatoxins [B1, B2, G1, G2, M1, R0, P1] in urine samples of 37% of children.The geometric mean concentration [GM] of total aflatoxins detected was 6.539 ng/dl urine. Aflatoxin B1 was detected in urine samples of 18 children with a geometric mean concentration of 10.792 ng/dl, ranking highest in occurrence and concentration compared to other aflatoxins detected. Children with positive urine samples for aflatoxins were compared with other study children as regards age, sex and clinical data. The differences between these two groups [positive versus negative] data were statistically insignificant. The results obtained were discussed as regards relevant studies in Egypt and in other countries. Data of 24 hours diet recall sheets as regards ingested food items by children with positive urine samples to aflatoxins were compared with counterpart findings in other children. The revealed differences were statistically insignificant. A random distribution of aflatoxin-contaminated food among ingested items was a possible explanation. However, the week diet recall data revealed a statistically significant between the two groups indicating more frequent intakes of animal milk and their products by children with positive urine samples of aflatoxins