Relationship Between Aflatoxins and Hepatitis B Among Patients with Liver Disease at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Uasin Gishu County
Main Article Content
Keywords
Aflatoxin B1, Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Liver disease, Aflatoxin-lysine adduct, Co-exposure, MTRH, Kenya
Abstract
Liver disease is a major public health concern in Kenya, where hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is strongly associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and dietary exposure to aflatoxins. The relationship between aflatoxin exposure and HBV remains insufficiently studied, limiting targeted prevention and management of liver disease. This study aims to establish relationship between aflatoxins and hepatitis B among patients with liver diseases at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Uasin Gishu County. The study adopted a cross sectional descriptive study. Blood sample was collected in clot activated tubes for aflatoxin and hepatitis profile tests and the serum was separated and stored at -20°c for both male and female patients admitted in wards or visiting various clinics for diagnosis. Treatment or recovery regiments were selected through their case history and lab-diagnosis results of hepatitis profile, liver function tests (LFTs), AFP and histology. Conditional logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between aflatoxin B1-lysine and hepatitis B surface antigen titers in serum. Findings showed that the prevalence of Hepatitis B in Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (17%) is higher than the national prevalence of 13.8%. The results suggest that older adults are more likely to be affected by Hepatitis B. However, the study found no significant difference in Hepatitis B prevalence between men and women. The results also showed mean value of 26.7289 pg/2g of aflatoxin exposure among the patients. Conditional logistic regression indicated that aflatoxin is associated with an increase in the log-odds of developing hepatitis B (χ² = 1.513 and a p-value = 0.009, p < 0.05). This suggests that high levels of aflatoxin cause hepatitis B. Based on these findings, a pressing need exists to amplify public health campaigns that foster heightened awareness about both Hepatitis B and aflatoxin exposure. It is also imperative to establish standardized and routine screening protocols specifically aimed at identifying Hepatitis B among individuals presenting with symptoms of liver disease. Equally significant is the proactive approach towards monitoring aflatoxin exposure among individuals displaying symptoms of liver disease. To this end, the implementation of systematic screening protocols tailored to aflatoxin exposure is paramount.
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References
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Apr 30, 2026
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Goren , F. C., Osano , O., & Khazenzi , J. (2026). Relationship Between Aflatoxins and Hepatitis B Among Patients with Liver Disease at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Uasin Gishu County. Journal of Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems, 4(1), 81–97. Retrieved from https://bluprintpub.com/index.php/JATEMS/article/view/372
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Florence Chelimo Goren , Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
Odip Osano , Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
Judith Khazenzi , Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya