RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Weanimix is an important food for children in Ghana. Mothers are trained to prepare homemade weanimix from beans, groundnuts and maize for their infants. Groundnuts and maize are prone to aflatoxin contamination while fumonisin contaminates maize. Aflatoxin, is produced by the Asperguillus fungi while fumonisin, is produced by Fusarium fungi. These mycotoxins occur in tropical areas worldwide due to favorable climate for their growth. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the levels of aflatoxin and fumonisin in homemade weanimix in the Ejura-Sekyedumase district in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. METHODS: Thirty six homemade weanimix samples (50g each) were collected from households. Aflatoxin and fumonisin were measured using a fluorometric procedure described by the Association of Official Analytical Chemist (AOAC official method 993.31, V1 series 4). RESULTS: Aflatoxin and fumonisin were detected in all 36 samples, range 7.9-500ppb. Fumonisin levels range: 0.74-11.0ppm). Thirty (83.3%) of the thirty six samples were over the action limit of 20ppb for aflatoxin with an overall mean of 145.2 ppb whiles 58.3% of the samples had fumonisins above the action limit of 4 ppm with an overall mean of 4.7 ppm. CONCLUSION: There were significant aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of homemade weanimix. Children fed on this nutritional food were being exposed to unacceptable levels of aflatoxin and fumonisin. Therefore there is a critical need to educate mothers on the dangers of mycotoxin exposure and to develop strategies to eliminate exposure of children fed homemade weanimix to aflatoxin and fumonisin.
Asunto(s)
Aflatoxinas/análisis , Arachis/química , Contaminación de Alimentos/análisis , Fumonisinas/análisis , Alimentos Infantiles/análisis , Zea mays/química , Preescolar , Ghana , Humanos , LactanteRESUMEN
A 3-month double-blind and placebo-controlled, phase IIa clinical trial was conducted in Ghana to investigate the safety, tolerance and aflatoxin-sorption efficacy of dietary NovaSil (NS). Volunteers (507 subjects) were clinically screened to evaluate their general health, pregnancy status and blood AFB(1)-albumin adduct levels. Of these subjects, 177 were randomly assigned to three groups: high-dose (HD), low-dose (LD) and placebo-control (PL) groups receiving 3.0, 1.5 and 0 g NS day(-1) in capsules. Trained study-monitors supervised NS capsule administration to participants and recorded side-effects daily. Physical examinations were performed monthly. Blood and urine samples were collected for laboratory analysis. Approximately 92% of the participants (162 of 177) completed the study and compliance rate was over 97%. Overall, 99.5% of person x time reported no side-effects throughout the study. Mild to moderate health events ( approximately 0.5% of person x time) were recorded in some participants. Symptoms included nausea, diarrhea, heartburn and dizziness. These side-effects were statistically similar among all three groups. No significant differences were shown in hematology, liver and kidney function or electrolytes in the three groups. These findings demonstrate that NS clay is apparently safe and practical for the protection of humans against aflatoxins in populations at high risk for aflatoxicosis.
Asunto(s)
Aflatoxinas/envenenamiento , Silicatos de Aluminio/administración & dosificación , Antídotos/administración & dosificación , Aditivos Alimentarios/administración & dosificación , Adulto , Aflatoxinas/metabolismo , Método Doble Ciego , Enteroadsorción , Femenino , Alimentos/normas , Ghana , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Factores de RiesgoRESUMEN
To evaluate the effectiveness of low-dose oral alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN), 247 HIV-infected study subjects received placebo, Alferon LDO, Veldona, or Ferimmune in a randomized, double-blind trial. Subjects had CD4+ counts between 50 and 350 cells/mm3 and HIV-related symptoms at entry. Study subjects rated the severity of eight symptoms using a symptom burden index (SBI). Study endpoints included changes in SBI, weight, CD4+ count, and Karnofsky score between baseline and the 24-week visit. The SBI outcome and weight were measured in 99 and 106 study subjects, respectively, at both the baseline and 24-week visits. Baseline SBI scores ranged from 5.4 to 7.9 in the four arms. No clinically important or statistically significant differences were found among the four arms with regard to SBI or weight change over the 24-week period. There were also no significant differences among the arms for CD4+ cell count and Karnofsky score. Few adverse reactions were noted in any arm, and there were no significant differences between arms. Although the trial was designed to enroll 560 study subjects and was prematurely terminated because of slow accrual and discontinuations of participants, the small differences among the arms in the primary and secondary endpoints do not support claims of efficacy for the measures studied.
Asunto(s)
Infecciones por VIH/tratamiento farmacológico , Interferón-alfa/uso terapéutico , Administración Oral , Adulto , Recuento de Linfocito CD4 , Método Doble Ciego , Femenino , Infecciones por VIH/inmunología , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Prospectivos , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
In this study we estimated occurrence of the booster effect in a population infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and assessed the relation between the booster effect, T-lymphocyte CD4 cell counts, tuberculosis risk categories, and HIV exposure categories. Patients were recruited from 13 participating sites of the Terry Beirn Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS (CPCRA). A two-stage tuberculin skin test was applied to 709 HIV-infected patients using the Mantoux method. An induration reading < 5 mm on the first test and > or = 5 on the second skin test defined the booster effect. Overall, 18 patients, or 2.7% (95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 4.2) experienced the booster effect. Boosted responses were seen in eight (2.1%) anergic patients, six (4.5%) nonanergic patients, and four (2.5%) with anergy status unknown. Boosting was noted in 1 of the 131 women enrolled. Age, race, CD4 cell count, injection drug use, anergy status, tuberculosis risk categories, and HIV exposure categories were not predictive of boosting. The booster effect occurs in a small percentage of HIV-infected patients tested, thus identifying small numbers of patients with latent tuberculosis infection. The two-stage procedure is probably of limited value in the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis in HIV-infected persons.