Association of aflatoxin B(1)-albumin adduct levels with hepatitis B surface antigen status among adolescents in Taiwan.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) exposure interact synergetically to induce hepatocellular carcinoma. One suggested mechanism for this interaction is the enhanced activation of AFB(1) in chronically HBV-infected individuals. Whereas no associations between chronic HBV infection and AFB(1)-albumin adducts were observed in several studies in adults, hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg)-positive children were found to have elevated adducts in Gambia. To assess the association between chronic HBV infection and AFB(1)-albumin adduct level in Taiwan, 200 junior high school adolescents from 20 townships were assayed for HBsAg and AFB(1)-albumin adducts. The mean AFB(1)-albumin adduct level was higher in HBsAg-positive compared with HBsAg-negative subjects. The association between HBsAg status and AFB(1)-albumin adducts remained after multivariate adjustment. This finding additionally supports the synergetic interaction between HBV and AFB(1), but the mechanism remains to be elucidated.