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Wander K, Fujita M, Mattison S, Gauck M, Duris M, Kiwelu I, Mmbaga BT. Does the immune system of milk increase activity for infants experiencing infectious disease episodes in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania? Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23897. [PMID: 36951242 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Multiple studies have reported that milk immune content increases for infants experiencing infectious disease (ID) episodes, suggesting that the immune system of milk (ISOM) offers enhanced protection when needed to combat ID. METHODS To test the hypothesis that ISOM content and/or activity increases during an infant's ID episode, we characterized milk secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA; a major ISOM constituent) and in vitro interleukin-6 (IL-6) responses to Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli, as system-level biomarkers of ISOM activity, in a prospective study among 96 mother-infant dyads in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. RESULTS After control for covariates, no milk immune variables (sIgA, Coef: 0.03; 95% CI -0.25, 0.32; in vitro IL-6 response to S. enterica, Coef: 0.23; 95% CI: -0.67, 1.13; IL-6 response to E. coli, Coef: -0.11; 95% CI: -0.98, 0.77) were associated with prevalent ID (diagnosed at the initial participation visit). Among infants experiencing an incident ID (diagnosed subsequent to the initial participation), milk immune content and responses were not substantially higher or lower than the initial visit (sIgA, N: 61; p: 0.788; IL-6 response to S. enterica, N: 56; p: 0.896; IL-6 response to E. coli, N: 36; p: 0.683); this was unchanged by exclusion of infants with ID at the time of initial participation. CONCLUSION These findings are not consistent with the hypothesis that milk delivers enhanced immune protection when infants experience ID. In environments with a high burden of ID, dynamism may be less valuable to maternal reproductive success than stability in the ISOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Wander
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Masako Fujita
- Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Siobhán Mattison
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Megan Gauck
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Margaret Duris
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Ireen Kiwelu
- Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Moshi, Tanzania
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Blandina T Mmbaga
- Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Moshi, Tanzania
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
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Pinto-Almazán R, Frías-De-León MG, Fuentes-Venado CE, Arenas R, González-Gutiérrez L, Chávez-Gutiérrez E, Torres-Paez OU, Martínez-Herrera E. Frequency of Candida spp. in the Oral Cavity of Asymptomatic Preschool Mexican Children and Its Association with Nutritional Status. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:children9101510. [PMID: 36291446 PMCID: PMC9600554 DOI: 10.3390/children9101510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Malnutrition is a public health problem in developing countries, affecting the child population, which favors the appearance of infections such as oral candidiasis. In Mexico, information on the presence of oral colonization by Candida spp. in asymptomatic children is scarce. The present study aimed to determine the presence of Candida spp. in the oral cavity of asymptomatic preschool Mexican children and its association with their nutritional status. A sample of oral mucosa was obtained using a sterile swab and then inoculated in Sabouraud dextrose agar with antibiotics, and the yeast growth was phenotypically identified. The anthropometric profile of children was performed based on the guidelines of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry. In addition, eating habits were investigated. The possible associations between the variables were determined through the chi-square test (IC95%, p < 0.05) (GraphPad Prism 8.0). Among the 743 assessed children (403 boys and 340 girls), the average age was 4.6 years, and the average nutritional status was normal (53.7%), followed by undernutrition (28.4%), overweight (12.4%) and obesity (5.5%). In 52 children, Candida was isolated, and the identified species were C. albicans (87.8%), C. glabrata (11.5%), C. krusei (5.8%) and C. parapsilosis (1.9%). The frequency of colonization was greater in males of six years (69.23%). There was no significant association between the colonization by Candida spp. and the nutritional status; however, a relation was observed with a high intake of simple carbohydrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Pinto-Almazán
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico
| | | | | | - Roberto Arenas
- Sección de Micología, Hospital General “Dr. Manuel Gea González”, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico
| | | | - Edwin Chávez-Gutiérrez
- Doctorado en Biomedicina y Biotecnología Molecular, Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av. Luis Enrique Erro S/N, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Zacatenco, Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero, Ciudad de México 07738, Mexico
| | - Oscar Uriel Torres-Paez
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico
| | - Erick Martínez-Herrera
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico
- Correspondence: or
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The Ecology of Breastfeeding and Mother-Infant Immune Functions. THE MOTHER-INFANT NEXUS IN ANTHROPOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-27393-4_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Lee F, Lawrence DA. From Infections to Anthropogenic Inflicted Pathologies: Involvement of Immune Balance. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2017; 21:24-46. [PMID: 29252129 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2017.1412212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A temporal trend can be seen in recent human history where the dominant causes of death have shifted from infectious to chronic diseases in industrialized societies. Human influences in the current "Anthropocene" epoch are exponentially impacting the environment and consequentially health. Changing ecological niches are suggested to have created health transitions expressed as modifications of immune balance from infections inflicting pathologies in the Holocene epoch (12,000 years ago) to human behaviors inflicting pathologies beginning in the Anthropocene epoch (300 years ago). A review of human immune health and adaptations responding to environmental (biological, chemical, physical, and psychological) stresses, which are influenced by social conditions, emphasize the involvement of fluctuations in immune cell subsets affecting influential gene-environment interactions. The literature from a variety of fields (anthropological, immunological, and environmental) is incorporated to present an expanded perspective on shifts in diseases within the context of immune balance and function and environmental immunology. The influences between historical and contemporary human ecology are examined in relation to human immunity. Several examples of shifts in human physiology and immunity support the premise that increased incidences of chronic diseases are a consequence of human modification of environment and lifestyle. Although the development of better health care and a broader understanding of human health have helped with better life quality and expectancy, the transition of morbidity and mortality rates from infections to chronic diseases is a cause for concern. Combinations of environmental stressors/pollutants and human behaviors and conditions are modulating the immune-neuroendocrine network, which compromises health benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Lee
- a Department of Anthropology , University at Albany , Albany , NY , USA
| | - David A Lawrence
- b Wadsworth Center/New York State Department of Health , Albany , NY , USA
- c Biomedical Sciences and Environmental Health Sciences , University at Albany, School of Public Health , Albany , NY , USA
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Wander K, Shell-Duncan B, Brindle E. Lower incidence of respiratory infections among iron-deficient children in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 2017:109-119. [PMID: 28852503 PMCID: PMC5570096 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eox010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Objective: We posited a trade-off in iron nutrition, with iron deficiency decreasing risk for infection by depriving infectious agents of iron while increasing risk for infection by compromising immune protection. We described associations between iron deficiency and prevalent and incident infectious disease episodes and cell-mediated immunity (CMI) among 283 children in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Methodology: Whole blood specimens were evaluated for hemoglobin and dried blood spots (DBS) were evaluated for biomarkers of iron deficiency (transferrin receptor) and inflammation (C-reactive protein and α1-acid glycoprotein). Prevalent and incident infectious disease episodes were identified by physician’s diagnosis. CMI was evaluated as delayed-type hypersensitivity to Candida albicans (DTH-Candida). Associations between iron status and elevated inflammation, prevalent infectious disease episodes and DTH-Candida were described with logistic regression models; associations between iron status and incident infectious disease episodes were described with Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Elevated inflammation and diagnosed infectious diseases were more common among children with iron-deficiency anemia (IDA, severe iron deficiency), but not significantly so. The incidence of infectious disease was lowest among children with moderate iron deficiency (iron-deficient erythropoiesis, IDE); this pattern was most apparent for respiratory infections (aHR: 0.24; p: 0.030). DTH-Candida was not compromised among children with any degree of iron deficiency. Conclusions and implications: We observed no adverse effect of iron deficiency on CMI, but did observe patterns consistent with the hypothesis that moderate iron deficiency protects against respiratory infections and may represent a nutritional adaptation to infectious disease. This suggests that interventions targeting iron deficiency should be coupled with effective infectious disease control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Wander
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Bettina Shell-Duncan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eleanor Brindle
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Strati F, Cavalieri D, Albanese D, De Felice C, Donati C, Hayek J, Jousson O, Leoncini S, Renzi D, Calabrò A, De Filippo C. New evidences on the altered gut microbiota in autism spectrum disorders. MICROBIOME 2017; 5:24. [PMID: 28222761 PMCID: PMC5320696 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-017-0242-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 564] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by social and behavioural impairments. In addition to neurological symptoms, ASD subjects frequently suffer from gastrointestinal abnormalities, thus implying a role of the gut microbiota in ASD gastrointestinal pathophysiology. RESULTS Here, we characterized the bacterial and fungal gut microbiota in a cohort of autistic individuals demonstrating the presence of an altered microbial community structure. A fraction of 90% of the autistic subjects were classified as severe ASDs. We found a significant increase in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in autistic subjects due to a reduction of the Bacteroidetes relative abundance. At the genus level, we observed a decrease in the relative abundance of Alistipes, Bilophila, Dialister, Parabacteroides, and Veillonella in the ASD cohort, while Collinsella, Corynebacterium, Dorea, and Lactobacillus were significantly increased. Constipation has been then associated with different bacterial patterns in autistic and neurotypical subjects, with constipated autistic individuals characterized by high levels of bacterial taxa belonging to Escherichia/Shigella and Clostridium cluster XVIII. We also observed that the relative abundance of the fungal genus Candida was more than double in the autistic than neurotypical subjects, yet due to a larger dispersion of values, this difference was only partially significant. CONCLUSIONS The finding that, besides the bacterial gut microbiota, also the gut mycobiota contributes to the alteration of the intestinal microbial community structure in ASDs opens the possibility for new potential intervention strategies aimed at the relief of gastrointestinal symptoms in ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Strati
- Computational Biology Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all' Adige, Italy
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Davide Albanese
- Computational Biology Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all' Adige, Italy
| | - Claudio De Felice
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Siena University Hospital AOUS, Viale Bracci 16, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Claudio Donati
- Computational Biology Research Unit, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all' Adige, Italy
| | - Joussef Hayek
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Siena University Hospital AOUS, Viale Bracci 16, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale Umbria 2, Via D. Bramante 37, 05100, Terni, Italy
| | - Olivier Jousson
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123, Trento, Italy
| | - Silvia Leoncini
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Siena University Hospital AOUS, Viale Bracci 16, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Daniela Renzi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 40, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Antonio Calabrò
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 40, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Carlotta De Filippo
- Institute of Agriculture Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
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Wander K, Shell-Duncan B, Brindle E, O'Connor K. Hay fever, asthma, and eczema and early infectious diseases among children in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Am J Hum Biol 2017; 29. [PMID: 28083975 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the hygiene (or "old friends") hypothesis in a high-infectious disease (ID) environment, rural Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. METHODS Among a cross-sectional sample of 2- to 7-year-old children, we collected physician-diagnosed hay fever, asthma, and eczema, history of hospitalization, family size, and household environment information via questionnaire; performed active and passive surveillance for ID; and, evaluated total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and biomarkers of inflammation in dried blood spot specimens. We used regression models to describe patterns in allergic diseases. RESULTS Complete information was available for 280 children: 12.5% had been diagnosed with hay fever; 18.9% with eczema; 2.1% with asthma. There was a positive association between hay fever and eczema diagnoses (π2 : 4.07; P = 0.044); total IgE was positively associated with eczema (β: 0.24; P = 0.100) and allergic diseases together (β: 0.26; P = 0.042). ID were common: the incidence of any ID diagnosis was 28 per 100 children per month. Hay fever was inversely associated with household animals (OR: 0.27; P = 0.006), and positively associated with earth housing materials (OR: 1.93; P = 0.079) and hospitalization in infancy with an ID (3.16; P = 0.066); patterns were similar when allergic disease outcomes were considered together. Few associations between these predictors and eczema or asthma alone were apparent. CONCLUSIONS Allergic diseases were common among children in Kilimanjaro. The inverse association between household animals and allergy is consistent with the hygiene/old friends hypothesis; however, positive associations between allergic diseases and earth housing materials and early hospitalization with ID bear further explanation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Wander
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, New York, 13902.,Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195.,Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
| | - Bettina Shell-Duncan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195.,Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
| | - Eleanor Brindle
- Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
| | - Kathleen O'Connor
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195.,Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
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Flies AS, Mansfield LS, Grant CK, Weldele ML, Holekamp KE. Markedly Elevated Antibody Responses in Wild versus Captive Spotted Hyenas Show that Environmental and Ecological Factors Are Important Modulators of Immunity. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137679. [PMID: 26444876 PMCID: PMC4621877 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary processes have shaped the vertebrate immune system over time, but proximal mechanisms control the onset, duration, and intensity of immune responses. Based on testing of the hygiene hypothesis, it is now well known that microbial exposure is important for proper development and regulation of the immune system. However, few studies have examined the differences between wild animals in their natural environments, in which they are typically exposed to a wide array of potential pathogens, and their conspecifics living in captivity. Wild spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are regularly exposed to myriad pathogens, but there is little evidence of disease-induced mortality in wild hyena populations, suggesting that immune defenses are robust in this species. Here we assessed differences in immune defenses between wild spotted hyenas that inhabit their natural savanna environment and captive hyenas that inhabit a captive environment where pathogen control programs are implemented. Importantly, the captive population of spotted hyenas was derived directly from the wild population and has been in captivity for less than four generations. Our results show that wild hyenas have significantly higher serum antibody concentrations, including total IgG and IgM, natural antibodies, and autoantibodies than do captive hyenas; there was no difference in the bacterial killing capacity of sera collected from captive and wild hyenas. The striking differences in serum antibody concentrations observed here suggest that complementing traditional immunology studies, with comparative studies of wild animals in their natural environment may help to uncover links between environment and immune function, and facilitate progress towards answering immunological questions associated with the hygiene hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S. Flies
- Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Linda S. Mansfield
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Chris K. Grant
- Custom Monoclonals International Corp, West Sacramento, CA, United States of America
| | - Mary L. Weldele
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - Kay E. Holekamp
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
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Mattison SM, Wander K, Hinde K. Breastfeeding over two years is associated with longer birth intervals, but not measures of growth or health, among children in Kilimanjaro, TZ. Am J Hum Biol 2015; 27:807-15. [PMID: 25945696 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 03/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Breastfeeding has been associated with numerous health and well-being benefits for both children and their mothers, including prolonging the birth interval to the subsequent sibling. The clearest associations between breastfeeding and health outcomes, per se, reflect exclusive breastfeeding in the first months of postnatal life and are most evident during infancy. Fewer studies explore the consequences of breastfeeding for multiple years. In this article, we ask whether breastfeeding for more than 2 years is associated with discernible health and well-being benefits to children. METHODS Data were collected from 315 children, aged 2 to 7, and their caretakers residing in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Basic demographic and health information was solicited, and anthropometric and blood markers of health were evaluated. RESULTS Our results indicate a strong positive relationship between breastfeeding for 2 or more years and interbirth interval, but little evidence for a relationship between prolonged breastfeeding and several indicators of child growth and health. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that these relationships may support the recently rekindled birth spacing hypothesis, positing selection for longer interbirth intervals, rather than, or in addition to, more direct health benefits associated with breastfeeding for 2 or more years. Our results may indicate attenuating health benefits associated with longer breastfeeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhán M Mattison
- Department of Biology and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215.,Department of Anthropology, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Katherine Wander
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, New York, 13902
| | - Katie Hinde
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138
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Wander K, Shell-Duncan B, Brindle E, O'Connor K. Predictors of delayed-type hypersensitivity to Candida albicans and anti-Epstein-Barr virus antibody among children in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 151:183-90. [PMID: 23460387 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2012] [Accepted: 01/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated sex, age, nutritional status, and infectious disease (ID) as predictors of two biomarkers of cell-mediated immunity (CMI), delayed-type hypersensitivity to Candida albicans (DTH-Candida), and anti-Epstein-Barr virus antibody (EBV Ab), among 200 children in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. DTH-Candida, which decreases with compromised CMI, was positively associated with age (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.57) and triceps skinfold (TSF; OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.26), and inversely associated with height-for-age Z score (HAZ; OR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.68, 1.08) and diagnosed ID (OR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.22, 1.08). There was significant interaction between TSF and ID: DTH-Candida exhibited a strong inverse association with ID among children with low TSF (OR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.50) and a strong positive association with TSF among children with ID (OR: 2.64; 95% CI: 1.29, 5.42). EBV Ab, which increases with compromised CMI, was inversely associated with male sex (β: -0.47; 95% CI: -0.70, -0.24) and TSF (β: -0.04; 95% CI: -0.08, 0.00), and positively associated with HAZ (β: 0.06; 95% CI: -0.03, 0.15). Among males, EBV Ab was positively associated with anemia. Among normal HAZ children, EBV Ab was inversely associated with TSF. There was no association between DTH-Candida and EBV Ab. While DTH-Candida provides a direct measure of CMI, our results suggest that interpretation of EBV-Ab among Kilimanjaro children was complicated by its indirect relationship with CMI. Among our sample, CMI increased with age and adequate nutrition and was compromised during acute ID. The suggestive CMI-compromising effect of increasing height-for-age may bear further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Wander
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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