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Effects of Early Life Pathogenic Exposures and Obesity on Childhood Inflammation Levels in Galápagos, Ecuador
Author(s) -
Houck Kelly,
Thompson Amanda,
Sorensen Mark
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.252.7
Subject(s) - overnutrition , obesity , medicine , inflammation , childhood obesity , disease , immunology , c reactive protein , environmental health , overweight
Early life nutritional and disease environments play a vital role in the development of the immune system. Elevated C‐reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation, is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease and associated with obesity. Studies in low resource environments show that pathogenic exposure during infancy is associated with lower CRP in adulthood. However, the consequences of concurrent pathogenic exposure and overnutrition in childhood remain unknown. This paper explores the effects of obesity and E. coli exposure on CRP in 166 children (2‐10 years) living on San Cristóbal. Longitudinal CRP was assayed from blood spots collected one‐week apart. 43% of households had high E. coli levels, quantified from household water samples. Obesity (BMI z‐score>2) was present in 19% of the children. Adjusted mixed‐effects models tested the impact of E. coli and obesity on repeated measures of log‐CRP. Obesity and high E. coli had significant, independent, opposing effects. While obesity increased CRP levels (β.746, p=.02), pathogenic exposure was protective (β ‐.661, p=.04). Even under conditions of overnutrition associated with a pro‐inflammatory state, childhood disease exposures strengthen the development of anti‐inflammatory networks. Funding: NICHD 5T32HD007168; UNC Graduate School, CPC & IGHID; NSF; Wenner‐Gren.