Evaluation of the Role of Aflatoxin as an Environmental Risk Factor Attributable to Liver Cancer in Nile Delta
Evaluation of the Role of Aflatoxin as an Environmental Risk Factor Attributable to Liver Cancer in Nile Delta
Hepatocellular carcinoma is multifactorial in etiology and complex in pathogenesis, the blend
 of risk factors differs in different parts of the world, and this may explain in part the
 diverse biologic characteristics of HCC in different populations .

 Exposure to aflatoxin is an additional risk factor for the development of HCC, through damage
 of DNA in liver cells and mutation in p53 tumor suppressor gene . A previous study showed
 that aflatoxin B1 has a considerable role in the development of HCC among Egyptians .

 Clinical studies have shown that AFB1 selectively targets at the third base position of codon
 249 of the human p53 gene, a known mutational hotspot in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
 . A significant association between aflatoxin exposure and HCC has been reported in
 hyperendemic areas . A synergistic interaction between AFB1 exposure and viral hepatitis B
 (HBV) infection on HCC risk has been reported in several epidemiologic studies.

 Aflatoxin exposure may be associated with advanced liver disease in chronic hepatitis C (HCV)
 patients. Levels of AFB1-albumin/albumin were significantly related to ultrasono-graphic
 hepatic parenchyma scores in anti-HCV-positive subjects .
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignancy in the world and the third
 most common cause of cancer-related deaths complicating liver cirrhosis in most cases.

 In Egypt, there has been a remarkable increase of the proportion of HCC among chronic liver
 diseases (CLD) patients from 4.0% to 7.2% over a decade. This rising proportion may be
 explained by the increasing risk factors such as the emergence of hepatitis C virus (HCV)
 over the same period of time, the contribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection,
 improvement of the screening programs and diagnostic tools of HCC as well as the increased
 survival rate among patients with cirrhosis to allow time for some of them to develop HCC .

 Hepatocellular carcinoma is multifactorial in etiology and complex in pathogenesis, the blend
 of risk factors differs in different parts of the world, and this may explain in part the
 diverse biologic characteristics of HCC in different populations .

 Exposure to aflatoxin is an additional risk factor for the development of HCC, through damage
 of DNA in liver cells and mutation in p53 tumor suppressor gene . A previous study showed
 that aflatoxin B1 has a considerable role in the development of HCC among Egyptians .

 Clinical studies have shown that AFB1 selectively targets at the third base position of codon
 249 of the human p53 gene, a known mutational hotspot in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
 . A significant association between aflatoxin exposure and HCC has been reported in
 hyperendemic areas . A synergistic interaction between AFB1 exposure and viral hepatitis B
 (HBV) infection on HCC risk has been reported in several epidemiologic studies.

 Aflatoxin exposure may be associated with advanced liver disease in chronic hepatitis C (HCV)
 patients. Levels of AFB1-albumin/albumin were significantly related to ultrasono-graphic
 hepatic parenchyma scores in anti-HCV-positive subjects .
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  cirrhotic patient with and without HCC

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Malignancy other than HCC