Abstract
Aflatoxins are leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma in Africa and South East Asia regions due to lack of strict governance in aflatoxin screening. Recent estimates have shown that 8 and 7 lakh people are diagnosed and dying each year. Ingestion of aflatoxins leads to the production of epoxide form of aflatoxins, which interfere with various metabolic as well as physiological processes. Metabolism of aflatoxin predominantly occurs in mitochondria of liver by cytochrome P450s. Epoxide metabolites of aflatoxin form DNA adduct, thereby induces changes in tumor suppressor genes like TP53 and also the expression of different genes regulating cell proliferation, metastasis and angiogenesis. In this chapter, we reviewed the pathophysiology behind aflatoxin-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and also discussed about the epigenetic changes responsible for progression of HCC. This chapter will provide some basic insights for researchers interested in studying pathophysiology of HCC and also for designing diagnostics for the screening of subjects with higher risk for HCC in aflatoxin contaminated areas.
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