Study the Correlation between Aflatoxin B1 and Diabetes Type 2 and their Effect on the Human Thyroid Gland in Baghdad Province

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) is a common metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. One of the most harmful mycotoxins, AFB1 is more dangerous than cyanide, arsenic, and organic pesticides and is the most toxic and carcinogenic of the aflatoxins. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has evaluated AFB1 as a group I human carcinogen. This study aims to investigate aflatoxin B1 in serum from patients with T2DM and the effect of AFB1 and T2DM on thyroid hormone levels. A case-control study conducted from November 2022 to January 2023. Samples were selected from the patients attending Al-Kindy Hospital and Endocrines and Diabetes Central/Baghdad. A total of 177 subjects were studied, 93 (44 males and 49 females) of whom were T2DM and 84 (37 males and 47 females) of whom were controls Each subject had 10 ml of blood collected from a vein, and the serum was separated using centrifugation. These serum samples were subsequently used to perform ELISA tests on T3, T4, and TSH. TLC and HPLC methods for the qualitative and quantitative detection of aflatoxin B1. This study, to our knowledge, is the first to examine how AFB1 affects the thyroid gland in humans. The results demonstrated a relationship between AFB1 both the patient and control groups. Male and female patients had the highest levels of toxin (4.6 ng/ml and 4.5 ng/ml, respectively). In addition, males and females in the control group had the highest level of toxin (0.14 ng/ml). AFB1 also shown a positive correlation with T2DM (r= 0.528) p value (0.001), as well as high levels of TSH, T4, and low levels of T3. The relationship between AFB1 and T2DM was one of synergy. And according to our study findings, females are more sensitive to AFB1 than males. As well, the study found that the AFB1-borne groups had higher TSH and T4 levels and lower T3 levels.