A Prospective Study of Growth and Biomarkers of Exposure to Aflatoxin and Fumonisin during Early Childhood in Tanzania

Shirima, Candida P.; Kimanya, Martin E.; Routledge, Michael N.; Srey, Chou; Kinabo, Joyce L.; Hans‐Ulrich Humpf, Hans‐Ulrich; Wild, Christopher P.; Tu, Yu-Kang; Gong, Yun Yun

dc.creator	Shirima, Candida P.
dc.creator	Kimanya, Martin E.
dc.creator	Routledge, Michael N.
dc.creator	Srey, Chou
dc.creator	Kinabo, Joyce L.
dc.creator	Hans‐Ulrich Humpf, Hans‐Ulrich
dc.creator	Wild, Christopher P.
dc.creator	Tu, Yu-Kang
dc.creator	Gong, Yun Yun
dc.date	2022-03-03T12:52:50Z
dc.date	2022-03-03T12:52:50Z
dc.date	2015-10
dc.date.accessioned	2022-10-25T08:51:41Z
dc.date.available	2022-10-25T08:51:41Z
dc.identifier	1476-069X
dc.identifier	https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/3974
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14732/91653
dc.description	Background: Aflatoxin and fumonisin are toxic food contaminants. Knowledge about effects of their exposure and coexposure on child growth is inadequate. Objective: We investigated the association between child growth and aflatoxin and fumonisin exposure in Tanzania. Methods: A total of 166 children were recruited at 6–14 months of age and studied at recruitment, and at the 6th and 12th month following recruitment. Blood and urine samples were collected and analyzed for plasma aflatoxin–albumin adducts (AF-alb) using ELISA, and urinary fumonisin B1 (UFB1) using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, respectively. Anthropometric measurements were taken, and growth index z-scores were computed. Results: AF-alb geometric mean concentrations (95% CIs) were 4.7 (3.9, 5.6), 12.9 (9.9, 16.7), and 23.5 (19.9, 27.7) pg/mg albumin at recruitment, 6 months, and 12 months from recruitment, respectively. At these respective sampling times, geometric mean UFB1 concentrations (95% CI) were 313.9 (257.4, 382.9), 167.3 (135.4, 206.7), and 569.5 (464.5, 698.2) pg/mL urine, and the prevalence of stunted children was 44%, 55%, and 56%, respectively. UFB1 concentrations at recruitment were negatively associated with length-for-age z-scores (LAZ) at 6 months (p = 0.016) and at 12 months from recruitment (p = 0.014). The mean UFB1 of the three sampling times (at recruitment and at 6 and 12 months from recruitment) in each child was negatively associated with LAZ (p < 0.001) and length velocity (p = 0.004) at 12 months from recruitment. The negative association between AF-alb and child growth did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Exposure to fumonisin alone or coexposure with aflatoxins may contribute to child growth impairment. Citation: Shirima CP, Kimanya ME, Routledge MN, Srey C, Kinabo JL, Humpf HU, Wild CP, Tu YK, Gong YY. 2015. A prospective study of growth and biomarkers of exposure to aflatoxin and fumonisin during early childhood in Tanzania. Environ Health Perspect 123:173–178; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408097
dc.format	application/pdf
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	BMC [Commercial Publisher]
dc.subject	Early childhood
dc.subject	Aflatoxin
dc.subject	Fumonisin
dc.subject	Tanzania
dc.title	A Prospective Study of Growth and Biomarkers of Exposure to Aflatoxin and Fumonisin during Early Childhood in Tanzania
dc.type	Article