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Blackwell AD, Garcia AR. Ecoimmunology in the field: Measuring multiple dimensions of immune function with minimally invasive, field-adapted techniques. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23784. [PMID: 35861267 PMCID: PMC9786696 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Immune function is multifaceted and characterizations based on single biomarkers may be uninformative or misleading, particularly when considered across ecological contexts. However, measuring the many facets of immunity in the field can be challenging, since many measures cannot be obtained on-site, necessitating sample preservation and transport. Here we assess state-of-the-art methods for measuring immunity, focusing on measures that require a minimal blood sample obtained from a finger prick, which can be: (1) dried on filter paper, (2) frozen in liquid nitrogen, or (3) stabilized with chemical reagents. RESULTS We review immune measures that can be obtained from point-of-care devices or from immunoassays of dried blood spots (DBSs), field methods for flow cytometry, the use of RNA or DNA sequencing and quantification, and the application of immune activation assays under field conditions. CONCLUSIONS Stable protein products, such as immunoglobulins and C-reactive protein are reliably measured in DBSs. Because less stable proteins, such as cytokines, may be problematic to measure even in fresh blood, mRNA from stabilized blood may provide a cleaner measure of cytokine and broader immune-related gene expression. Gene methylation assays or mRNA sequencing also allow for the quantification of many other parameters, including the inference of leukocyte subsets, though with less accuracy than with flow cytometry. Combining these techniques provides an improvement over single-marker studies, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of how social and ecological variables are linked to immune measures and disease risk in diverse populations and settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron D. Blackwell
- Department of AnthropologyWashington State UniversityPullmanWashingtonUSA
| | - Angela R. Garcia
- Research DepartmentPhoenix Children's HospitalPhoenixArizonaUSA,Department of Child HealthUniversity of Arizona College of MedicinePhoenixArizonaUSA
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2
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Carson E, Sharmin S, Maier AB, Meij JJ. Comparing indigenous mortality across urban, rural and very remote areas: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int Health 2018; 10:219-227. [DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihy021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Edward Carson
- Department of Medicine and Aged Care, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sifat Sharmin
- Department of Medicine and Aged Care, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Academic Centre for Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrea B Maier
- Department of Medicine and Aged Care, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes J Meij
- Melbourne Academic Centre for Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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3
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Koopman JJE, Pijpe J, Böhringer S, van Bodegom D, Eriksson UK, Sanchez-Faddeev H, Ziem JB, Zwaan B, Slagboom PE, de Knijff P, Westendorp RGJ. Genetic variants determining survival and fertility in an adverse African environment: a population-based large-scale candidate gene association study. Aging (Albany NY) 2017; 8:1364-83. [PMID: 27356285 PMCID: PMC4993336 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Human survival probability and fertility decline strongly with age. These life history traits have been shaped by evolution. However, research has failed to uncover a consistent genetic determination of variation in survival and fertility. As an explanation, such genetic determinants have been selected in adverse environments, in which humans have lived during most of their history, but are almost exclusively studied in populations in modern affluent environments. Here, we present a large-scale candidate gene association study in a rural African population living in an adverse environment. In 4387 individuals, we studied 4052 SNPs in 148 genes that have previously been identified as possible determinants of survival or fertility in animals or humans. We studied their associations with survival comparing newborns, middle-age adults, and old individuals. In women, we assessed their associations with reported and observed numbers of children. We found no statistically significant associations of these SNPs with survival between the three age groups nor with women's reported and observed fertility. Population stratification was unlikely to explain these results. Apart from a lack of power, we hypothesise that genetic heterogeneity of complex phenotypes and gene-environment interactions prevent the identification of genetic variants explaining variation in survival and fertility in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J E Koopman
- Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Pijpe
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,University of Applied Sciences Leiden, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Böhringer
- Section of Medical Statistics, Department of Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - David van Bodegom
- Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ulrika K Eriksson
- Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Juventus B Ziem
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Bas Zwaan
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - P Eline Slagboom
- Section of Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Peter de Knijff
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Rudi G J Westendorp
- Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Department of Public Health and Center of Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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van Exel E, Koopman JJE, van Bodegom D, Meij JJ, de Knijff P, Ziem JB, Finch CE, Westendorp RGJ. Effect of APOE ε4 allele on survival and fertility in an adverse environment. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179497. [PMID: 28683096 PMCID: PMC5500260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The apolipoprotein-ε4 allele (APOE-ε4) is strongly associated with detrimental outcomes in affluent populations including atherosclerotic disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and reduced lifespan. Despite these detrimental outcomes, population frequencies of APOE-ε4 are high. We hypothesize that the high frequency of APOE-ε4 was maintained because of beneficial effects during evolution when infectious pathogens were more prevalent and a major cause of mortality. We examined a rural Ghanaian population with a high pathogen exposure for selective advantages of APOE-ε4, to survival and or fertility. Methods and findings This rural Ghanaian population (n = 4311) has high levels of mortality from widespread infectious diseases which are the main cause of death. We examined whether APOE-ε4 was associated with survival (total follow-up time was 30,262 years) and fertility after stratifying by exposure to high or low pathogen levels. Households drawing water from open wells and rivers were classified as exposed to high pathogen levels while low pathogen exposure was classified as those drawing water from borehole wells. We found a non-significant, but positive survival benefit, i.e. the hazard ratio per APOE-ε4 allele was 0.80 (95% confidence interval: 0.69 to 1.05), adjusted for sex, tribe, and socioeconomic status. Among women aged 40 years and older (n = 842), APOE-ε4 was not associated with the lifetime number of children. However, APOE-ε4 was associated with higher fertility in women exposed to high pathogen levels. Compared with women not carrying an APOE-ε4 allele, those carrying one APOE-ε4 allele had on average one more child and those carrying two APOE-ε4 alleles had 3.5 more children (p = 0.018). Conclusions Contrary to affluent modern-day populations, APOE-ε4 did not carry a survival disadvantage in this rural Ghanaian population. Moreover, APOE-ε4 promotes fertility in highly infectious environments. Our findings suggest that APOE-ε4 may be considered as evolutionarily adaptive. Its adverse associations in affluent modern populations with later onset diseases of aging further characterize APOE-ε4 as an example of antagonistic pleiotropy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric van Exel
- Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center/GGZinGeest, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Jacob J. E. Koopman
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - David van Bodegom
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Johannes J. Meij
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne Academic Center of Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Peter de Knijff
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Juventus B. Ziem
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Caleb E. Finch
- Davis School of Gerontology and Dornsife College, Dept Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Rudi G. J. Westendorp
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Public Health, and Center for Healthy Ageing, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Pathogen-Host Defense in the Evolution of Depression: Insights into Epidemiology, Genetics, Bioregional Differences and Female Preponderance. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:5-27. [PMID: 27629366 PMCID: PMC5143499 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 08/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Significant attention has been paid to the potential adaptive value of depression as it relates to interactions with people in the social world. However, in this review, we outline the rationale of why certain features of depression including its environmental and genetic risk factors, its association with the acute phase response and its age of onset and female preponderance appear to have evolved from human interactions with pathogens in the microbial world. Approaching the relationship between inflammation and depression from this evolutionary perspective yields a number of insights that may reveal important clues regarding the origin and epidemiology of the disorder as well as the persistence of its risk alleles in the modern human genome.
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Gurven MD, Trumble BC, Stieglitz J, Blackwell AD, Michalik DE, Finch CE, Kaplan HS. Cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in evolutionary perspective: a critical role for helminths? Evol Med Public Health 2016; 2016:338-357. [PMID: 27666719 PMCID: PMC5101910 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eow028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart disease and type 2 diabetes are commonly believed to be rare among contemporary subsistence-level human populations, and by extension prehistoric populations. Although some caveats remain, evidence shows these diseases to be unusual among well-studied hunter-gatherers and other subsistence populations with minimal access to healthcare. Here we expand on a relatively new proposal for why these and other populations may not show major signs of these diseases. Chronic infections, especially helminths, may offer protection against heart disease and diabetes through direct and indirect pathways. As part of a strategy to insure their own survival and reproduction, helminths exert multiple cardio-protective effects on their host through their effects on immune function and blood lipid metabolism. Helminths consume blood lipids and glucose, alter lipid metabolism, and modulate immune function towards Th-2 polarization - which combined can lower blood cholesterol, reduce obesity, increase insulin sensitivity, decrease atheroma progression, and reduce likelihood of atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Traditional cardiometabolic risk factors, coupled with the mismatch between our evolved immune systems and modern, hygienic environments may interact in complex ways. In this review, we survey existing studies in the non-human animal and human literature, highlight unresolved questions and suggest future directions to explore the role of helminths in the etiology of cardio-metabolic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change & Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, 21 allée de Brienne, 31015 Toulouse Cedex 6, France
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - David E Michalik
- University of California, Irvine School of Medicine; Depts of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases
| | - Caleb E Finch
- Andrus Gerontology Center and Dept. Neurobiology USC College, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Hillard S Kaplan
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
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7
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Beenakker KGM, Koopman JJE, van Bodegom D, Kuningas M, Slagboom PE, Meij JJ, Maier AB, Westendorp RGJ. Variants of the IL-10 gene associate with muscle strength in elderly from rural Africa: a candidate gene study. Aging Cell 2014; 13:862-8. [PMID: 25040424 PMCID: PMC4331746 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, it has been shown that the capacity of the innate immune system to produce cytokines relates to skeletal muscle mass and strength in older persons. The interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene regulates the production capacities of IL-10 and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In rural Ghana, IL-10 gene variants associated with different production capacities of IL-10 and TNF-α are enriched compared with Caucasian populations. In this setting, we explored the association between these gene variants and muscle strength. Among 554 Ghanaians aged 50 years and older, we determined 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the IL-10 gene, production capacities of IL-10 and TNF-α in whole blood upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and handgrip strength as a proxy for skeletal muscle strength. We distinguished pro-inflammatory haplotypes associated with low IL-10 production capacity and anti-inflammatory haplotypes with high IL-10 production capacity. We found that distinct haplotypes of the IL-10 gene associated with handgrip strength. A pro-inflammatory haplotype with a population frequency of 43.2% was associated with higher handgrip strength (P = 0.015). An anti-inflammatory haplotype with a population frequency of 7.9% was associated with lower handgrip strength (P = 0.006). In conclusion, variants of the IL-10 gene contributing to a pro-inflammatory cytokine response associate with higher muscle strength, whereas those with anti-inflammatory response associate with lower muscle strength. Future research needs to elucidate whether these effects of variation in the IL-10 gene are exerted directly through its role in the repair of muscle tissue or indirectly through its role in the defence against infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karel G M Beenakker
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical CenterAlbinusdreef 2, Leiden, 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
| | - Jacob J E Koopman
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical CenterAlbinusdreef 2, Leiden, 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
- Leyden Academy on Vitality and AgeingRijnsburgerweg 10, Leiden, 2333 AA, The Netherlands
| | - David van Bodegom
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical CenterAlbinusdreef 2, Leiden, 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
- Leyden Academy on Vitality and AgeingRijnsburgerweg 10, Leiden, 2333 AA, The Netherlands
| | - Maris Kuningas
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical CenterDr Molewaterplein 50, Rotterdam, 3015 GE, The Netherlands
| | - Pieternella E Slagboom
- Department of Medical Statistics, Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical CenterAlbinusdreef 2, Leiden, 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes J Meij
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical CenterAlbinusdreef 2, Leiden, 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Innovation, Amphia HospitalsMolengracht 21, Breda, 4818 CK, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea B Maier
- Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, VU University Medical CenterDe Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Rudi G J Westendorp
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical CenterAlbinusdreef 2, Leiden, 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
- Leyden Academy on Vitality and AgeingRijnsburgerweg 10, Leiden, 2333 AA, The Netherlands
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8
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Koopman JJE, van Bodegom D, Westendorp RGJ, Jukema JW. Scarcity of atrial fibrillation in a traditional African population: a community-based study. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2014; 14:87. [PMID: 25037974 PMCID: PMC4107622 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2261-14-87] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In western societies, atrial fibrillation is an increasingly common finding among the elderly. Established risk factors of atrial fibrillation include obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Atrial fibrillation has almost exclusively been studied in western populations where these risk factors are widely present. Therefore, we studied the epidemiology of atrial fibrillation in a traditional African community. Methods In rural Ghana, among 924 individuals aged 50 years and older, we recorded electrocardiograms to detect atrial fibrillation. As established risk factors, we documented waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), capillary glucose level, blood pressure, and electrocardiographic myocardial infarction. In addition, we determined circulating levels of interleukin-6 (IL6), a proinflammatory cytokine, and C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation. We compared the risk factors with reference data from the USA. Results Atrial fibrillation was detected in only three cases, equalling 0.3% (95% CI 0.1–1.0%). Waist circumference, BMI, and capillary glucose levels were very low. Hypertension and myocardial infarction were uncommon. Circulating levels of IL6 were similar, but those of CRP were lower compared with the USA. Conclusion Atrial fibrillation is very scarce in this traditional African community. Its low prevalence compared with western societies can be explained by the rareness of its established risk factors, which are closely related to lifestyle, and by possible unmeasured differences in other risk factors or genetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J E Koopman
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Postal zone C7-Q, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands.
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9
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Macedo AA, Bittar JFF, Bassi PB, Ronda JB, Bittar ER, Panetto JCC, Araujo MSS, Santos RL, Martins-Filho OA. Influence of endogamy and mitochondrial DNA on immunological parameters in cattle. BMC Vet Res 2014; 10:79. [PMID: 24694022 PMCID: PMC4230805 DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-10-79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endogamy increases the risk of manifestation of deleterious recessive genes. Mitochondrial DNA allows the separation of American Zebu (Bos indicus and Bos taurus) and evaluate the effect of mitochondrial DNA on productive traits of cattle. However, the effect of endogamy and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) on the immune system remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between endogamy, mtDNA and immune parameters. RESULTS A total of 86 cattle (43 cows and 43 calves) were used in this study. Age, endogamy, milk yield, and origin of mtDNA were measured and their influence on immunological parameters was evaluated. Older cows had increased CD4+ T cells, decreased CD21+ and γδhigh T cells as well as increased CD4+/CD8+ and T/B ratio. Multiple regression analysis indicated that endogamy in calves was associated with increased CD8+ T and CD21+ B lymphocytes, and decreased γδhigh T cells in peripheral blood. Cows with medium and lower endogamy had a lower percentage of B lymphocytes and γδlow T cells and cows with lower endogamy had higher levels of γδ T cells and γδhigh T cells, as well as the CD4+/CD48+ cell ratio. Calves with higher endogamy had higher levels of CD8+ T lymphocytes, whereas calves with lower endogamy had lower levels of γδlow T cells. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrated for the first time that endogamy influences the immune system of cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auricélio A Macedo
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Joely F F Bittar
- Universidade de Uberaba, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Belo Horizonte 1715, 30190-002, Brazil
| | - Paula B Bassi
- Universidade de Uberaba, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Márcio S S Araujo
- Universidade de Uberaba, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Belo Horizonte 1715, 30190-002, Brazil
| | - Renato L Santos
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Olindo A Martins-Filho
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Belo Horizonte 1715, 30190-002, Brazil
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Lourenço J, Pereira R, Pinto F, Caetano T, Silva A, Carvalheiro T, Guimarães A, Gonçalves F, Paiva A, Mendo S. Biomonitoring a human population inhabiting nearby a deactivated uranium mine. Toxicology 2013; 305:89-98. [PMID: 23370006 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2013.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2012] [Revised: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Environmental exposure to uranium and its daughter radionuclides, has been linked to several negative effects such as those related with important physiological processes, like hematopoiesis, and may also be associated with genotoxicity effects. Herein, genotoxic effects, immunotoxicity, trace elements and C reactive protein (CRP) analyses, were performed in peripheral blood samples collected from individuals of a population living near a deactivated uranium mine. C reactive protein analysis was performed to exclude candidates with active inflammatory processes from further evaluations. DNA damage and immunotoxicity (immunophenotyping and immune cell counts) were evaluated by comet assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Significant DNA damage was observed in the peripheral blood samples from volunteers living in the Cunha Baixa village. A significant decrease of NK and T lymphocytes counts were observed in the individuals from the Cunha Baixa village, when compared with individuals from the reference site. Uranium and manganese levels were significantly higher in the Cunha Baixa village inhabitants. On the other hand, zinc levels were significantly lower in those individuals when compared with the volunteers from the control village. Results suggest that inhabitants from Cunha Baixa have a higher risk of suffering from serious diseases such as cancer, since high DNA damages were observed in peripheral blood leukocytes and also decreased levels of NK and T cells, which play an essential role in the defense against tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Lourenço
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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11
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Raison CL, Miller AH. The evolutionary significance of depression in Pathogen Host Defense (PATHOS-D). Mol Psychiatry 2013; 18:15-37. [PMID: 22290120 PMCID: PMC3532038 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2012.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2011] [Revised: 11/21/2011] [Accepted: 01/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Given the manifold ways that depression impairs Darwinian fitness, the persistence in the human genome of risk alleles for the disorder remains a much debated mystery. Evolutionary theories that view depressive symptoms as adaptive fail to provide parsimonious explanations for why even mild depressive symptoms impair fitness-relevant social functioning, whereas theories that suggest that depression is maladaptive fail to account for the high prevalence of depression risk alleles in human populations. These limitations warrant novel explanations for the origin and persistence of depression risk alleles. Accordingly, studies on risk alleles for depression were identified using PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE to examine data supporting the hypothesis that risk alleles for depression originated and have been retained in the human genome because these alleles promote pathogen host defense, which includes an integrated suite of immunological and behavioral responses to infection. Depression risk alleles identified by both candidate gene and genome-wide association study (GWAS) methodologies were found to be regularly associated with immune responses to infection that were likely to enhance survival in the ancestral environment. Moreover, data support the role of specific depressive symptoms in pathogen host defense including hyperthermia, reduced bodily iron stores, conservation/withdrawal behavior, hypervigilance and anorexia. By shifting the adaptive context of depression risk alleles from relations with conspecifics to relations with the microbial world, the Pathogen Host Defense (PATHOS-D) hypothesis provides a novel explanation for how depression can be nonadaptive in the social realm, whereas its risk alleles are nonetheless represented at prevalence rates that bespeak an adaptive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- C L Raison
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724-5137, USA.
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12
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Koopman JJE, van Bodegom D, Jukema JW, Westendorp RGJ. Risk of cardiovascular disease in a traditional African population with a high infectious load: a population-based study. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46855. [PMID: 23071653 PMCID: PMC3469578 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background To test the inflammatory origin of cardiovascular disease, as opposed to its origin in western lifestyle. Population-based assessment of the prevalences of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease in an inflammation-prone African population, including electrocardiography and ankle-arm index measurement. Comparison with known prevalences in American and European societies. Methodology/Principal Findings Traditional population in rural Ghana, characterised by adverse environmental conditions and a high infectious load. Population-based sample of 924 individuals aged 50 years and older. Median values for cardiovascular risk factors, including waist circumference, BMI, blood pressure, and markers of glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammation. Prevalence of myocardial infarction detected by electrocardiography and prevalence of peripheral arterial disease detected by ankle-arm index. When compared to western societies, we found the Ghanaians to have more proinflammatory profiles and less cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity, dysglycaemia, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension. Prevalences of cardiovascular disease were also lower. Definite myocardial infarction was present in 1.2% (95%CI: 0.6 to 2.4%). Peripheral arterial disease was present in 2.8% (95%CI: 1.9 to 4.1%). Conclusions/Significance Taken together, our data indicate that for the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease inflammatory processes alone do not suffice and additional factors, probably lifestyle-related, are mandatory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob J E Koopman
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Peters JL, Kubzansky LD, Ikeda A, Fang SC, Sparrow D, Weisskopf MG, Wright RO, Vokonas P, Hu H, Schwartz J. Lead concentrations in relation to multiple biomarkers of cardiovascular disease: the Normative Aging Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2012; 120:361-366. [PMID: 22142875 PMCID: PMC3295335 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1103467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lead exposure has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in animal and human studies. However, the mechanisms of action have not been fully elucidated. We therefore examined the relationship between lead and multiple biomarkers of CVD. METHODS Participants were older men from the Normative Aging Study without preexisting coronary heart disease, diabetes, or active infection at baseline (n = 426). Serum biomarkers included lipid profile [total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides] and inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor receptor-2 (TNF-R2)]. We measured lead in blood and in bone by K-shell X-ray fluorescence. In this sample, 194 men (44.3%) had two or more repeated measures, resulting in 636 observations for analysis. We conducted analyses using mixed effects models with random subject intercepts. RESULTS Lead levels were associated with several CVD biomarkers, including levels of TNF-R2 and lipid markers. Specifically, in multivariable models, a 50% increase in blood lead level was associated with 26% increased odds of high TNF-R2 levels (> 5.52 ng/mL; odds ratio = 1.26; 95% confidence interval: 1.09, 1.45). There were positive associations of blood lead level with total cholesterol and HDL levels, and these associations were more evident when modeled as continuous outcomes than when categorized using clinically relevant cut points. In addition, longitudinal analyses indicated a significant increase in TNF-R2 levels over time to be associated with high blood lead level at the preceding visit. CONCLUSIONS Blood lead level may be related with CVD in healthy older men through its association with TNF-R2 levels. In addition, the magnitude of the association of blood lead level with TNF-R2 level increased with age in the study population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junenette L Peters
- Department of Environment Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Vasunilashorn S, Finch CE, Crimmins EM, Vikman SA, Stieglitz J, Gurven M, Kaplan H, Allayee H. Inflammatory gene variants in the Tsimane, an indigenous Bolivian population with a high infectious load. BIODEMOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL BIOLOGY 2011; 57:33-52. [PMID: 21845926 PMCID: PMC3529658 DOI: 10.1080/19485565.2011.564475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The Tsimane of lowland Bolivia are an indigenous forager-farmer population living under conditions resembling pre-industrial European populations, with high infectious morbidity, high infection and inflammation, and shortened life expectancy. Analysis of 917 persons ages 5 to 60+ showed that allele frequencies of 9 SNPs examined in the apolipoprotein E (apoE), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) genes differed from some European, African, and north Asian-derived populations. The apoE2 allele was absent, whereas four SNPs related to CRP and IL-6 were monomorphic: CRP (rs1800947, rs3093061, and rs3093062) and IL-6 (rs1800795). No significant differences in apoE, CRP, and IL-6 variants across age were found CRP levels were higher in carriers of two CRP proinflammatory SNPs, whereas they were lower in carriers of apoE4. Taken together the evidence for (1) different allele frequencies between the Tsimane and other populations and (2) the correlations of CRP and apoE alleles with blood CRP may suggest that these variants are under selection in response to a high infection environment.
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Effect of age on surface molecules and cytokine expression in human dendritic cells. Cell Immunol 2011; 269:82-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2011.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2010] [Revised: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 04/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Wijsman CA, Maier AB, de Craen AJM, van den Biggelaar AHJ, Westendorp RGJ. An Unopposed Proinflammatory Response Is Beneficial for Survival in the Oldest Old. Results of the Leiden 85-Plus Study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2010; 66:393-9. [DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glq212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Deitschel SJ, Kerl ME, Chang CH, DeClue AE. Age-associated changes to pathogen-associated molecular pattern-induced inflammatory mediator production in dogs. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio) 2010; 20:494-502. [PMID: 20955300 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-4431.2010.00565.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether older dogs will have a more pronounced pro-inflammatory response and blunted anti-inflammatory response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) compared with younger dogs. DESIGN Prospective. SETTING University teaching hospital. ANIMALS Thirty-eight privately owned sexually altered dogs of various ages. INTERVENTIONS Blood was collected for HCT, WBC count, plasma biochemical analysis, and whole blood culture. Whole blood was stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or, lipoteichoic acid or, peptidoglycan or, addition of phosphate-buffered saline. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 production from whole blood were compared among young, middle aged, and geriatric dogs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS LPS, lipoteichoic acid, and peptidoglycan stimulated significant TNF, IL-6, and IL-10 production from canine whole blood compared with phosphate-buffered saline. Whole blood from geriatric dogs had a blunted IL-10 response to LPS stimulation and middle-aged dogs had increased LPS-induced TNF production compared with the other groups. CONCLUSION PAMPs from gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria stimulate TNF, IL-6, and IL-10 production from canine whole blood. The inflammatory mediator response to PAMPs from gram-negative bacteria alters with age and may be one factor contributing to mortality in geriatric dogs with sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Deitschel
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, Comparative Internal Medicine Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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Thomson ABR. Small intestinal disorders in the elderly. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 2009; 23:861-74. [PMID: 19942164 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpg.2009.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2009] [Revised: 10/12/2009] [Accepted: 10/12/2009] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The topic of gastroenterology (GI) in the elderly has been extensively reviewed. It takes special skill, patience and insight to interview the elderly, as well as to appreciate their altered physiology and interpretation of their presenting symptoms and signs, often against an extreme background of complex medical problems. The maldigestion and malabsorption coupled with altered motility contributes to the development of malnutrition. There generally a decrease of function of the GI tract, but there may be loss of adaptability in response to changes in diet or nutritional stress. Pathological alterations which might lead to minor overall intestinal functional variations in the young because of a normal process of adaptation, may lead to much more serious events in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan B R Thomson
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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