Detection of aflatoxins and related metabolites by radioimmunoassay

Rabbit (outbred albino New Zealand White) antisera have been raised against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) using as immunogen conjugates in which the hapten was coupled to bovine serum albumin (BSA) either through C1 or C8 with the oxime and the dichloride derivatives of AFB1 as intermediates. Radioimmunoassay (RIA), with [3H]AFB1 as tracer, showed that the antiserum prepared with the conjugate in which BSA was coupled to the AFB1 oxime derivative was highly specific to AFB1, whereas the antiserum raised against the conjugate in which BSA was coupled to AFB1 through the AFB1Cl2 derivative (C-antiserum) cross-reacted to a large extent with other aflatoxins, including aflatoxin M1, an important urinary metabolite of AFB1 in several species including humans. AFB1-related metabolites in the urine of inbred BD IV adult male rats given AFB1 orally at doses from 600 pmol to 385 nmol can easily be followed over 9 days by RIA in which the "cross-reactive" C-antiserum is used. This suggests that similar methodologies could be used for the monitoring of human exposure to AFB1.