Here is a story from Science Daily on a new journal article about how toxic mold may be contributing to the AIDS epidemic (following the report in the NYT earlier this week). The study found that serum levels of aflatoxin (a mycotoxin present in large quantities in grain and peanuts in developing countries as well as in “sick” buildings in places like the U.S.) were very strongly correlated with the extent of the viral load in newly diagnosed HIV+ patients. Previous study from this group showed that HIV-positive subjects had much higher aflatoxin levels than matched HIV-negative subjects. It thus seems from this group’s work that exposure to this mold toxin is both a risk factor for acquiring HIV and a progression factor for being much more likely to develop AIDS once the virus is acquired. As of yet, the effect of aflatoxin or other mycotoxins from moldy buildings in terms of acquisition of HIV or development of AIDS has not been studied. With regard to CFS, a study released in April showed that 93% of a random group of CFS patients had mycotoxins in their urine, compared to 0% of a healthy control sample without known exposure to a moldy building. Aflatoxins were found in 12% of the CFS patients; trichothecenes in 44%; and ochratoxin in 83%. (The link for this paper is in the comments below.) For a copy of the new AIDS/aflatoxin paper and a literature review of the previous work by that group of researchers, please send an email to: lisapetrison@yahoo. sciencedaily/releases/2013/07/130723095207.htm
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 07:05:24 +0000
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