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Gizaw Z, Yalew AW, Bitew BD, Lee J, Bisesi M. Fecal biomarkers of environmental enteric dysfunction and associated factors among children aged 24-59 months in east Dembiya district, northwest Ethiopia. BMC Gastroenterol 2022; 22:172. [PMID: 35395735 PMCID: PMC8994394 DOI: 10.1186/s12876-022-02255-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental enteric dysfunction is a subclinical intestinal disorder characterized by gut inflammation accompanied by morphological changes, such as blunted villi and crypt hyperplasia. This is a common illness in low and middle-income countries. However, environmental enteric dysfunction evidence is limited in Ethiopia. Accordingly, this study was conducted to measure fecal biomarkers of environmental enteric dysfunction and associated factors among children aged 24–59 months in rural northwest Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was employed among 235 randomly selected children in a rural setting of the east Dembiya district. Stool samples were collected without fixative and analyzed for fecal biomarkers of environmental enteric dysfunction (Alpha-1-antitrypsin, neopterin, and myeloperoxidase) using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits and analyzed for intestinal parasites using wet mount and Kato-Katz techniques. Child behaviors related with exposure to enteropathogens, condition of the living environment and socio-demographic information were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaire and structure observation. We fitted multivariable linear regression model to assess the association between environmental factors and concentration of fecal biomarkers of environmental enteric dysfunction in the stool. Statistically significant associations were declared based on adjusted betas with the corresponding 95% confidence interval and p-value < 0.05. Results The median concentration of fecal markers of environmental enteric dysfunction was 350 μg/ml for Alpha-1-antitrypsin, 3320.2 ng/ml for myeloperoxidase, and 1562 nmol/l for neopterin. The median concentration of Alpha-1-antitrypsin among 161 (68.5%), myeloperoxidase among 168 (71.5%), and neopterin among 188 (80%) of the stool samples were above the normal values in non-tropical settings. Moreover, 100 (42.6%) of the children had high EED disease activity score (above the median score). The elevated concentrations of fecal biomarkers of gut inflammation and the high EED disease activity score were significantly associated with open defecation practice, mouthing of soil contaminated materials, Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination of drinking water, E. coli contamination of foods, E. coli contamination of soil, and intestinal parasites. Conclusion Overall, Alpha-1-antitrypsin, myeloperoxidase, and neopterin levels among the children in the studied region were highly elevated in comparison to populations in high-income countries. Moreover, the EED disease activity score in significant proportion of children was high, suggesting widespread intestinal inflammation and increased intestinal permeability. Extensive E. coli contamination of the living environment (drinking water, ready-to-eat foods, and courtyard soil), hygiene and sanitation behaviors (such as open defecation and mouthing of soil contaminated materials), and a high burden of intestinal parasites were identified as factors associated with the elevated concentration of fecal biomarkers of environmental enteric dysfunction. Parental care to children to avoid mouthing of soil contaminated materials and other risky behaviors that increase exposure enteric infections, and protecting the living environment (water, food and soil) from fecal contamination are important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zemichael Gizaw
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. .,Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. .,Global One Health Initiative (GOHi), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | | | - Bikes Destaw Bitew
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Jiyoung Lee
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Michael Bisesi
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
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Chen D, Mechlowitz K, Li X, Schaefer N, Havelaar AH, McKune SL. Benefits and Risks of Smallholder Livestock Production on Child Nutrition in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Front Nutr 2021; 8:751686. [PMID: 34778344 PMCID: PMC8579112 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.751686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Livestock production may improve nutritional outcomes of pregnant women and children by increasing household income, availability of nutrient-dense foods, and women's empowerment. Nevertheless, the relationship is complex, and the nutritional status of children may be impaired by presence of or proximity to livestock and their pathogens. In this paper, we review the benefits and risks of livestock production on child nutrition. Evidence supports the nutritional benefits of livestock farming through income, production, and women's empowerment. Increasing animal source food consumption requires a combination of efforts, including improved animal management so that herd size is adequate to meet household income needs and consumption and addressing sociocultural and gendered norms. Evidence supports the inclusion of behavior change communication strategies into livestock production interventions to facilitate the sustainability of nutritional benefits over time, particularly interventions that engage women and foster dimensions of women's empowerment. In evaluating the risks of livestock production, evidence indicates that a broad range of enteric pathogens may chronically infect the intestines of children and, in combination with dietary deficits, may cause environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a chronic inflammation of the gut. Some of the most important pathogens associated with EED are zoonotic in nature with livestock as their main reservoir. Very few studies have aimed to understand which livestock species contribute most to colonization with these pathogens, or how to reduce transmission. Control at the point of exposure has been investigated in a few studies, but much less effort has been spent on improving animal husbandry practices, which may have additional benefits. There is an urgent need for dedicated and long-term research to understand which livestock species contribute most to exposure of young children to zoonotic enteric pathogens, to test the potential of a wide range of intervention methods, to assess their effectiveness in randomized trials, and to assure their broad adaptation and sustainability. This review highlights the benefits and risks of livestock production on child nutrition. In addition to identifying research gaps, findings support inclusion of poor gut health as an immediate determinant of child undernutrition, expanding the established UNICEF framework which includes only inadequate diet and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dehao Chen
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Karah Mechlowitz
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Xiaolong Li
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Nancy Schaefer
- Health Science Center Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Arie H. Havelaar
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Institute for Sustainable Food Systems, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Sarah L. McKune
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Center for African Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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3
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Uddin MI, Hossain M, Islam S, Akter A, Nishat NS, Nila TA, Rafique TA, Leung DT, Calderwood SB, Ryan ET, Harris JB, LaRocque RC, Bhuiyan TR, Qadri F. An assessment of potential biomarkers of environment enteropathy and its association with age and microbial infections among children in Bangladesh. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250446. [PMID: 33886672 PMCID: PMC8061931 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Interventional studies targeting environment enteropathy (EE) are impeded by the lack of appropriate, validated, non-invasive biomarkers of EE. Thus, we aimed to validate the association of potential biomarkers for EE with enteric infections and nutritional status in a longitudinal birth cohort study. We measured endotoxin core antibody (EndoCab) and soluble CD14 (sCD14) in serum, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in feces using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. We found that levels of serum EndoCab and sCD14 increase with the cumulative incidence of enteric infections. We observed a significant correlation between the fecal MPO level in the children at 24 months of age with the total number of bacterial and viral infections, the total number of parasitic infections, and the total number of diarrheal episodes and diarrheal duration. We observed that the levels of serum EndoCab, sCD14, and fecal MPO at 3 months of age were significantly associated with whether children were malnourished at 18 months of age or not. Biomarkers such as fecal MPO, serum EndoCab and sCD14 in children at an early age may be useful as a measure of cumulative burden of preceding enteric infections, which are predictive of subsequent malnutrition status and may be useful non-invasive biomarkers for EE.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shahidul Islam
- Infectious Diseases Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Aklima Akter
- Infectious Diseases Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | | | - Daniel T. Leung
- Infectious Diseases Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Stephen B. Calderwood
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Edward T. Ryan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jason B. Harris
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Regina C. LaRocque
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Firdausi Qadri
- Infectious Diseases Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- * E-mail: (FQ); (TRB)
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Berendes D, Capone D, Knee J, Holcomb D, Sultana S, Pickering AJ, Brown J. Associations between enteric pathogen carriage and height-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-height in children under 5 years old in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. Epidemiol Infect 2020; 148:e39. [PMID: 32102708 DOI: 10.1017/S0950268820000369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Nutritional factors and infectious agents may contribute to paediatric growth deficits in low- and middle-income countries; however, the contribution of enteric pathogens is only beginning to be understood. We analysed the stool from children <5 years old from an open cohort, cluster-randomised controlled trial of a point-of-collection water chlorinator in urban Bangladesh. We compared the presence/absence of 15 enteric pathogens detected via multiplex, molecular methods in the stool with concurrent Z-scores/Z-score cut-offs (−2 standard deviations (s.d.)) for height-for-age (HAZ/stunting), weight-for-age (WAZ/underweight) and weight-for-height (WHZ/wasting), adjusted for sociodemographic and trial-related factors, and measured caregiver-reported diarrhoea. Enteric pathogen prevalence in the stool was high (88% had ≥1 enteric pathogen, most commonly Giardia spp. (40%), Salmonella enterica (33%), enterotoxigenic E. coli (28%) and Shigella spp. (27%)) while reported 7-day diarrhoea prevalence was 6%, suggesting high subclinical infection rates. Many children were stunted (26%) or underweight (24%). Adjusted models suggested Giardia spp. detection was associated with lower HAZ (−0.22 s.d., 95% CI −0.44 to 0.00; prevalence ratio for stunting: 1.39, 95% CI 0.94–2.06) and potentially lower WAZ. No pathogens were associated with reported diarrhoea in adjusted models. Giardia spp. carriage may be associated with growth faltering, but not diarrhoea, in this and similar low-income settings. Stool-based enteric pathogen detection provides a direct indication of previous exposure that may be useful as a broader endpoint of trials of environmental interventions.
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Salameh E, Morel FB, Zeilani M, Déchelotte P, Marion-Letellier R. Animal Models of Undernutrition and Enteropathy as Tools for Assessment of Nutritional Intervention. Nutrients 2019; 11:nu11092233. [PMID: 31527523 PMCID: PMC6770013 DOI: 10.3390/nu11092233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
: Undernutrition is a major public health problem leading to 1 in 5 of all deaths in children under 5 years. Undernutrition leads to growth stunting and/or wasting and is often associated with environmental enteric dysfunction (EED). EED mechanisms leading to growth failure include intestinal hyperpermeability, villus blunting, malabsorption and gut inflammation. As non-invasive methods for investigating gut function in undernourished children are limited, pre-clinical models are relevant to elucidating the pathophysiological processes involved in undernutrition and EED, and to identifying novel therapeutic strategies. In many published models, undernutrition was induced using protein or micronutrient deficient diets, but these experimental models were not associated with EED. Enteropathy models mainly used gastrointestinal injury triggers. These models are presented in this review. We found only a few studies investigating the combination of undernutrition and enteropathy. This highlights the need for further developments to establish an experimental model reproducing the impact of undernutrition and enteropathy on growth, intestinal hyperpermeability and inflammation, that could be suitable for preclinical evaluation of innovative therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmeline Salameh
- UniRouen, Inserm UMR 1073 Nutrition, Inflammation and Gut-Brain Axis, Normandie University, 76183 Rouen, France.
- Nutriset SAS, 76770 Malaunay, France.
| | | | | | - Pierre Déchelotte
- UniRouen, Inserm UMR 1073 Nutrition, Inflammation and Gut-Brain Axis, Normandie University, 76183 Rouen, France.
- Department of Nutrition, Rouen University Hospital, 76183 Rouen, France.
| | - Rachel Marion-Letellier
- UniRouen, Inserm UMR 1073 Nutrition, Inflammation and Gut-Brain Axis, Normandie University, 76183 Rouen, France.
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6
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Lauer JM, Duggan CP, Ausman LM, Griffiths JK, Webb P, Bashaasha B, Agaba E, Turyashemererwa FM, Ghosh S. Unsafe Drinking Water Is Associated with Environmental Enteric Dysfunction and Poor Growth Outcomes in Young Children in Rural Southwestern Uganda. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2019; 99:1606-1612. [PMID: 30350765 PMCID: PMC6283503 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a subclinical disorder of the small intestine, and poor growth are associated with living in poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions, but specific risk factors remain unclear. Nested within a birth cohort study, this study investigates relationships among water quality, EED, and growth in 385 children living in southwestern Uganda. Water quality was assessed using a portable water quality test when children were 6 months, and safe water was defined as lacking Escherichia coli contamination. Environmental enteric dysfunction was assessed using the lactulose:mannitol (L:M) test at 12-16 months. Anthropometry and covariate data were extracted from the cohort study, and associations were assessed using linear and logistic regression models. Less than half of the households (43.8%) had safe water, and safe versus unsafe water did not correlate with improved versus unimproved water source. In adjusted linear regression models, children from households with safe water had significantly lower log-transformed (ln) L:M ratios (β: -0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.44, -0.00) and significantly higher length-for-age (β: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.58) and weight-for-age (β: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.34) Z-scores at 12-16 months. Furthermore, in adjusted linear regression models, ln L:M ratios at 12-16 months significantly decreased with increasing length-for-age Z-scores at birth, 6 months, and 9 months (β: -0.05, 95% CI: -0.10, -0.004; β: -0.06, 95% CI: -0.11, -0.006; and β: -0.05, 95% CI: -0.09, -0.005, respectively). Overall, our data suggest that programs seeking to improve nutrition should address poor WASH conditions simultaneously, particularly related to household drinking water quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Lauer
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Nutrition, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Christopher P Duggan
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Nutrition, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lynne M Ausman
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Nutrition, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts.,Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jeffrey K Griffiths
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, Massachusetts.,Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Patrick Webb
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Nutrition, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts.,Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Bernard Bashaasha
- Department of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Edgar Agaba
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Nutrition, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Shibani Ghosh
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Nutrition, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts.,Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
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Iqbal NT, Syed S, Sadiq K, Khan MN, Iqbal J, Ma JZ, Umrani F, Ahmed S, Maier EA, Denson LA, Haberman Y, McNeal MM, Setchell KDR, Zhao X, Qureshi S, Shen L, Moskaluk CA, Liu TC, Yilmaz O, Brown DE, Barratt MJ, Kung VL, Gordon JI, Moore SR, Ali SA. Study of Environmental Enteropathy and Malnutrition (SEEM) in Pakistan: protocols for biopsy based biomarker discovery and validation. BMC Pediatr 2019; 19:247. [PMID: 31331393 PMCID: PMC6643315 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-019-1564-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental Enteropathy (EE), characterized by alterations in intestinal structure, function, and immune activation, is believed to be an important contributor to childhood undernutrition and its associated morbidities, including stunting. Half of all global deaths in children < 5 years are attributable to under-nutrition, making the study of EE an area of critical priority. Methods Community based intervention study, divided into two sub-studies, 1) Longitudinal analyses and 2) Biopsy studies for identification of EE features via omics analyses. Birth cohorts in Matiari, Pakistan established: moderately or severely malnourished (weight for height Z score (WHZ) < − 2) children, and well-nourished (WHZ > 0) children. Blood, urine, and fecal samples, for evaluation of potential biomarkers, will be collected at various time points from all participants (longitudinal analyses). Participants will receive appropriate educational and nutritional interventions; non-responders will undergo further evaluation to determine eligibility for further workup, including upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Histopathological changes in duodenal biopsies will be compared with duodenal biopsies obtained from USA controls who have celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or who were found to have normal histopathology. RNA-Seq will be employed to characterize mucosal gene expression across groups. Duodenal biopsies, luminal aspirates from the duodenum, and fecal samples will be analyzed to define microbial community composition (omic analyses). The relationship between histopathology, mucosal gene expression, and community configuration will be assessed using a variety of bioinformatic tools to gain better understanding of disease pathogenesis and to identify mechanism-based biomarkers. Ethical review committees at all collaborating institutions have approved this study. All results will be made available to the scientific community. Discussion Operational and ethical constraints for safely obtaining intestinal biopsies from children in resource-poor settings have led to a paucity of human tissue-based investigations to understand and reverse EE in vulnerable populations. Furthermore, EE biomarkers have rarely been correlated with gold standard histopathological confirmation. The Study of Environmental Enteropathy and Malnutrition (SEEM) is designed to better understand the pathophysiology, predictors, biomarkers, and potential management strategies of EE to inform strategies to eradicate this debilitating pathology and accelerate progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Trial registration Retrospectively registered; clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT03588013. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12887-019-1564-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najeeha T Iqbal
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.,Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sana Syed
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kamran Sadiq
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Marium N Khan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Junaid Iqbal
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.,Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Jennie Z Ma
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Fayaz Umrani
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sheraz Ahmed
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Elizabeth A Maier
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Lee A Denson
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Yael Haberman
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Monica M McNeal
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kenneth D R Setchell
- Clinical Mass Spectrometry, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Xueheng Zhao
- Clinical Mass Spectrometry, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Shahida Qureshi
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Lanlan Shen
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Ta-Chiang Liu
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Omer Yilmaz
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Donald E Brown
- Data Science Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Michael J Barratt
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Vanderlene L Kung
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jeffrey I Gordon
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sean R Moore
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - S Asad Ali
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
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8
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Church JA, Parker EPK, Kosek MN, Kang G, Grassly NC, Kelly P, Prendergast AJ. Exploring the relationship between environmental enteric dysfunction and oral vaccine responses. Future Microbiol 2018; 13:1055-1070. [PMID: 29926747 PMCID: PMC6136084 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2018-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Oral vaccines significantly underperform in low-income countries. One possible contributory factor is environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a subclinical disorder of small intestinal structure and function among children living in poverty. Here, we review studies describing oral vaccine responses and EED. We identified eight studies evaluating EED and oral vaccine responses. There was substantial heterogeneity in study design and few consistent trends emerged. Four studies reported a negative association between EED and oral vaccine responses; two showed no significant association; and two described a positive correlation. Current evidence is therefore insufficient to determine whether EED contributes to oral vaccine underperformance. We identify roadblocks in the field and future research needs, including carefully designed studies those can investigate this hypothesis further.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Church
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal & Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Centre for Genomics & Child Health, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, UK
| | - Edward PK Parker
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, St Mary's Campus, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Margaret N Kosek
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Gagandeep Kang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Nicholas C Grassly
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, St Mary's Campus, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Kelly
- Centre for Genomics & Child Health, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, UK
- Tropical Gastroenterology & Nutrition group, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Andrew J Prendergast
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal & Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Centre for Genomics & Child Health, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, UK
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Garzón M, Pereira-da-Silva L, Seixas J, Papoila AL, Alves M. Subclinical Enteric Parasitic Infections and Growth Faltering in Infants in São Tomé, Africa: A Birth Cohort Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2018; 15:E688. [PMID: 29621166 PMCID: PMC5923730 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15040688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The associations between enteric pathogenic parasites and growth in infants in São Tomé were explored using a refined anthropometric approach to recognize early growth faltering. A birth cohort study was conducted with follow-up to 24 months of age. Microscopic examination for protozoa and soil-transmitted helminths was performed. Anthropometric assessments included: z-scores for weight-for-length (WLZ), length-for-age (LAZ), weight (WAVZ) and length velocities (LAVZ), length-for-age difference (LAD), and wasting and stunting risk (≤-1 SD). Generalized additive mixed effects regression models were used to explore the associations between anthropometric parameters and enteric parasitic infections and cofactors. A total of 475 infants were enrolled, and 282 completed the study. The great majority of infants were asymptomatic. Giardia lamblia was detected in 35.1% of infants in at least one stool sample, helminths in 30.4%, and Cryptosporidium spp. in 14.7%. Giardia lamblia and helminth infections were significantly associated with mean decreases of 0.10 in LAZ and 0.32 in LAD, and of 0.16 in LAZ and 0.48 in LAD, respectively. Cryptosporidium spp. infection was significantly associated with a mean decrease of 0.43 in WAVZ and 0.55 in LAVZ. The underestimated association between subclinical parasitic enteric infections and mild growth faltering in infants should be addressed in public health policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisol Garzón
- Tropical Clinic Teaching and Research Unit, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa; 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal.
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine R&D Center, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa; 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Luís Pereira-da-Silva
- Medicine of Woman, Childhood and Adolescence Teaching and Research Area, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa; 1169-056 Lisbon, Portugal.
- Research Unit, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central; 1169-045 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Jorge Seixas
- Tropical Clinic Teaching and Research Unit, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa; 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal.
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine R&D Center, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa; 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Ana Luísa Papoila
- Research Unit, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central; 1169-045 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Marta Alves
- Research Unit, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central; 1169-045 Lisbon, Portugal.
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10
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Syed S, Yeruva S, Herrmann J, Sailer A, Sadiq K, Iqbal N, Kabir F, Ahmed K, Qureshi S, Moore SR, Turner J, Ali SA. Environmental Enteropathy in Undernourished Pakistani Children: Clinical and Histomorphometric Analyses. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2018; 98:1577-1584. [PMID: 29611507 PMCID: PMC6086170 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite nutrition interventions, stunting thought to be secondary to underlying environmental enteropathy (EE) remains pervasive among infants residing in resource-poor countries and remains poorly characterized. From a birth cohort of 380 children, 65 malnourished infants received 12 weeks of nutritional supplementation with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). Eleven children with insufficient response to RUTF underwent upper endoscopy with duodenal biopsies, which were compared with U.S., age-matched specimens for healthy, celiac disease, non-celiac villous atrophy, non-celiac intraepithelial lymphocytosis, and graft-versus-host disease patients. Of the 11 children biopsied, EE was found in 10 (91%) with one subject with celiac disease. Morphometry demonstrated decreased villus-to-crypt (V:C) ratios in EE relative to healthy and non-celiac lymphocytosis patients. Environmental enteropathy villus volumes were significantly decreased relative to healthy controls. In EE, average CD3+ cells per 100 epithelial cells and per 1,000 µm2 of lamina propria and the number of lamina propria CD20+ B-cell aggregates were increased relative to all other groups. Our results indicate that V:C ratios are reduced in EE but are less severe than in celiac disease. Environmental enteropathy intraepithelial and lamina propria T lymphocytosis is of greater magnitude than that in celiac disease. The increases in lamina propria B and T lymphocytes suggest that non-cytolytic lymphocytic activation may be a more prominent feature of EE relative to celiac disease. These results provide new insights into shared yet distinct histological and immunological features of EE and celiac disease in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Syed
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.,Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.,Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sunil Yeruva
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jeremy Herrmann
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Anne Sailer
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Kamran Sadiq
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Najeeha Iqbal
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Furqan Kabir
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Kumail Ahmed
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Shahida Qureshi
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sean R Moore
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Jerrold Turner
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - S Asad Ali
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
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11
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Harper KM, Mutasa M, Prendergast AJ, Humphrey J, Manges AR. Environmental enteric dysfunction pathways and child stunting: A systematic review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006205. [PMID: 29351288 PMCID: PMC5792022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is commonly defined as an acquired subclinical disorder of the small intestine, characterized by villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia. EED has been proposed to underlie stunted growth among children in developing countries. A collection of biomarkers, organized into distinct domains, has been used to measure different aspects of EED. Here, we examine whether these hypothesized relationships, among EED domains and between each domain and stunting, are supported by data from recent studies. METHODOLOGY A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL between January 1, 2010 and April 20, 2017. Information on study objective, design, population, location, biomarkers, and results were recorded, as well as qualitative and quantitative definitions of EED. Biomarkers were organized into five EED domains, and the number of studies that support or do not support relationships among domains and between each domain with stunting were summarized. RESULTS There was little evidence to support the pathway from intestinal permeability to microbial translocation and from microbial translocation to stunting, but stronger support existed for the link between intestinal inflammation and systemic inflammation and for intestinal inflammation and stunting. There was conflicting evidence for the pathways from intestinal damage to intestinal permeability and intestinal damage to stunting. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that certain EED biomarkers may require reconsideration, particularly those most difficult to measure, such as microbial translocation and intestinal permeability. We discuss several issues with currently used biomarkers and recommend further analysis of pathogen-induced changes to the intestinal microbiota as a pathway leading to stunting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M. Harper
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Maxine Mutasa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Andrew J. Prendergast
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jean Humphrey
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Amee R. Manges
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, Canada
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12
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Kraft MR, Klotz C, Bücker R, Schulzke JD, Aebischer T. Giardia's Epithelial Cell Interaction In Vitro: Mimicking Asymptomatic Infection? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:421. [PMID: 29018775 PMCID: PMC5622925 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis is responsible for more than 280 million cases of gastrointestinal complaints ("giardiasis") every year, worldwide. Infections are acquired orally, mostly via uptake of cysts in contaminated drinking water. After transformation into the trophozoite stage, parasites start to colonize the duodenum and upper jejunum where they attach to the intestinal epithelium and replicate vegetatively. Outcome of Giardia infections vary between individuals, from self-limiting to chronic, and asymptomatic to severely symptomatic infection, with unspecific gastrointestinal complaints. One proposed mechanism for pathogenesis is the breakdown of intestinal barrier function. This has been studied by analyzing trans-epithelial electric resistances (TEER) or by indicators of epithelial permeability using labeled sugar compounds in in vitro cell culture systems, mouse models or human biopsies and epidemiological studies. Here, we discuss the results obtained mainly with epithelial cell models to highlight contradictory findings. We relate published studies to our own findings that suggest a lack of barrier compromising activities of recent G. duodenalis isolates of assemblage A, B, and E in a Caco-2 model system. We propose that this epithelial cell model be viewed as mimicking asymptomatic infection. This view will likely lead to a more informative use of the model if emphasis is shifted from aiming to identify Giardia virulence factors to defining non-parasite factors that arguably appear to be more decisive for disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin R Kraft
- Unit 16 Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Klotz
- Unit 16 Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Roland Bücker
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg-Dieter Schulzke
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Toni Aebischer
- Unit 16 Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
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13
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna M Denno
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Phillip I Tarr
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - James P Nataro
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
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14
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Fink MY, Singer SM. The Intersection of Immune Responses, Microbiota, and Pathogenesis in Giardiasis. Trends Parasitol 2017; 33:901-913. [PMID: 28830665 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Giardia lamblia is one of the most common infectious protozoans in the world. Giardia rarely causes severe life-threatening diarrhea, and may even have a slight protective effect in this regard, but it is a major contributor to malnutrition and growth faltering in children in the developing world. Giardia infection also appears to be a significant risk factor for postinfectious irritable bowel and chronic fatigue syndromes. In this review we highlight recent work focused on the impact of giardiasis and the mechanisms that contribute to the various outcomes of this infection, including changes in the composition of the microbiota, activation of immune responses, and immunopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Y Fink
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Steven M Singer
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
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15
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Rogawski ET, Bartelt LA, Platts-Mills JA, Seidman JC, Samie A, Havt A, Babji S, Trigoso DR, Qureshi S, Shakoor S, Haque R, Mduma E, Bajracharya S, Gaffar SMA, Lima AAM, Kang G, Kosek MN, Ahmed T, Svensen E, Mason C, Bhutta ZA, Lang DR, Gottlieb M, Guerrant RL, Houpt ER, Bessong PO. Determinants and Impact of Giardia Infection in the First 2 Years of Life in the MAL-ED Birth Cohort. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2017; 6:153-160. [PMID: 28204556 PMCID: PMC5907871 DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piw082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND. Giardia are among the most common enteropathogens detected in children in low-resource settings. We describe here the epidemiology of infection with Giardia in the first 2 years of life in the Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development Project (MAL-ED), a multisite birth-cohort study. METHODS. From 2089 children, 34916 stool samples collected during monthly surveillance and episodes of diarrhea were tested for Giardia using an enzyme immunoassay. We quantified the risk of Giardia detection, identified risk factors, and assessed the associations with micronutrients, markers of gut inflammation and permeability, diarrhea, and growth using multivariable linear regression. RESULTS. The incidence of at least 1 Giardia detection varied according to site (range, 37.7%-96.4%) and was higher in the second year of life. Exclusive breastfeeding (HR for first Giardia detection in a monthly surveillance stool sample, 0.46 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.28-0.75]), higher socioeconomic status (HR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.56-0.97]), and recent metronidazole treatment (risk ratio for any surveillance stool detection, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.56-0.84]) were protective. Persistence of Giardia (consecutive detections) in the first 6 months of life was associated with reduced subsequent diarrheal rates in Naushahro Feroze, Pakistan but not at any other site. Giardia detection was also associated with an increased lactulose/mannitol ratio. Persistence of Giardia before 6 months of age was associated with a -0.29 (95% CI, -0.53 to -0.05) deficit in weight-for-age z score and -0.29 (95% CI, -0.64 to 0.07) deficit in length-for-age z score at 2 years. CONCLUSIONS. Infection with Giardia occurred across epidemiological contexts, and repeated detections in 40% of the children suggest that persistent infections were common. Early persistent infection with Giardia, independent of diarrhea, might contribute to intestinal permeability and stunted growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T. Rogawski
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
| | - Luther A. Bartelt
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
| | - James A. Platts-Mills
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
| | - Jessica C. Seidman
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Alexandre Havt
- Clinical Research Unit and Institute of Biomedicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Rashidul Haque
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | | | - Aldo A. M. Lima
- Clinical Research Unit and Institute of Biomedicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | - Margaret N. Kosek
- Asociación Benéfica PRISMA, Iquitos, Peru;,Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Tahmeed Ahmed
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Carl Mason
- Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand; and
| | | | - Dennis R. Lang
- Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Michael Gottlieb
- Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Richard L. Guerrant
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
| | - Eric R. Houpt
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
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16
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Garzón M, Pereira-da-Silva L, Seixas J, Papoila AL, Alves M, Ferreira F, Reis A. Association of enteric parasitic infections with intestinal inflammation and permeability in asymptomatic infants of São Tomé Island. Pathog Glob Health 2017; 111:116-127. [PMID: 28279129 PMCID: PMC5445637 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2017.1299831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The cumulative effect of repeated asymptomatic enteric infections on intestinal barrier is not fully understood in infants. We aimed to evaluate the association between previous enteric parasitic infections and intestinal inflammation and permeability at 24-months of age, in asymptomatic infants of São Tomé Island. A subset of infants from a birth cohort, with intestinal parasite evaluations in at least four points of assessment, was eligible. Intestinal inflammatory response and permeability were assessed using fecal S100A12 and alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), respectively. The cutoff <-1SD for weight-for-length and length-for-age was used to define wasting and stunting. Multivariable linear regression analysis explored if cumulative enteric parasitic infections explained variability of fecal biomarkers, after adjusting for potential confounders. Eighty infants were included. Giardia duodenalis and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) were the most frequent parasites. The median (interquartile range) levels were 2.87 μg/g (2.41-3.92) for S100A12 and 165.1 μg/g (66.0-275.6) for A1AT. Weak evidence of association was found between S100A12 levels and G. duodenalis (p = 0.080) and STH infections (p = 0.089), and between A1AT levels and parasitic infection of any etiology (p = 0.089), at 24-months of age. Significant associations between A1AT levels and wasting (p = 0.006) and stunting (p = 0.044) were found. Previous parasitic infections were not associated with fecal biomarkers at 24 months of age. To summarize, previous asymptomatic parasitic infections showed no association with intestinal barrier dysfunction. Notwithstanding, a tendency toward increased levels of the inflammatory biomarker was observed for current G. duodenalis and STH infections, and increased levels of the permeability biomarker were significantly associated with stunting and wasting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisol Garzón
- Tropical Clinic Teaching and Research Unit, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Luis Pereira-da-Silva
- Research Unit, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal
- Woman, Children and Adolescent’s Medicine Teaching and Research Area, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jorge Seixas
- Tropical Clinic Teaching and Research Unit, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Luísa Papoila
- Research Unit, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal
- NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marta Alves
- Research Unit, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Filipa Ferreira
- Tropical Clinic Teaching and Research Unit, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Reis
- Tropical Clinic Teaching and Research Unit, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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17
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Prendergast AJ, Humphrey JH, Mutasa K, Majo FD, Rukobo S, Govha M, Mbuya MNN, Moulton LH, Stoltzfus RJ. Assessment of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction in the SHINE Trial: Methods and Challenges. Clin Infect Dis 2016; 61 Suppl 7:S726-32. [PMID: 26602300 PMCID: PMC4657593 DOI: 10.1093/cid/civ848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a virtually ubiquitous, but poorly defined, disorder of the small intestine among people living in conditions of poverty, which begins early in infancy and persists. EED is characterized by altered gut structure and function, leading to reduced absorptive surface area and impaired intestinal barrier function. It is hypothesized that recurrent exposure to fecal pathogens and changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota initiate this process, which leads to a self-perpetuating cycle of pathology. We view EED as a primary gut disorder that drives chronic systemic inflammation, leading to growth hormone resistance and impaired linear growth. There is currently no accepted case definition or gold-standard biomarker of EED, making field studies challenging. The Sanitation Hygiene Infant Nutrition Efficacy (SHINE) trial in Zimbabwe is evaluating the independent and combined effects of a package of infant feeding and/or water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions on stunting and anemia. SHINE therefore provides an opportunity to longitudinally evaluate EED in a well-characterized cohort of infants, using a panel of biomarkers along the hypothesized causal pathway. Our aims are to describe the evolution of EED during infancy, ascertain its contribution to stunting, and investigate the impact of the randomized interventions on the EED pathway. In this article, we describe current concepts of EED, challenges in defining the condition, and our approach to evaluating EED in the SHINE trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Prendergast
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jean H Humphrey
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kuda Mutasa
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Florence D Majo
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Sandra Rukobo
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Margaret Govha
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Mduduzi N N Mbuya
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Lawrence H Moulton
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
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18
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McCormick BJJ, Lang DR. Diarrheal disease and enteric infections in LMIC communities: how big is the problem? Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines 2016; 2:11. [PMID: 28883955 PMCID: PMC5531018 DOI: 10.1186/s40794-016-0028-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of enteric diseases have historically focused on observations of clinical diarrhea as a cause of mortality and morbidity. Emerging evidence suggests that diarrhea dramatically underestimates both exposure to enteropathogens and the long-term consequences arising from infection. High burden of pathogens in the gut, even in the absence of diarrhea, is common in infants in low and middle income countries. Continual challenge by pathogens, in conjunction with an inadequate diet stimulates an inflammatory disease that alters the structure of the gut, metabolic and immunological pathways and changes the microbiome. Both diarrhea and enteropathogen infection have been associated with reduced growth, reduced cognitive development, and reduced vaccine efficacy suggesting that the burden of diarrheal disease is dramatically underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dennis R. Lang
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
- Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
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19
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Faubion WA, Camilleri M, Murray JA, Kelly P, Amadi B, Kosek MN, Enders F, Larson J, Grover M, Boe G, Dyer R, Singh R. Improving the detection of environmental enteric dysfunction: a lactulose, rhamnose assay of intestinal permeability in children aged under 5 years exposed to poor sanitation and hygiene. BMJ Glob Health 2016; 1:e000066. [PMID: 28588929 PMCID: PMC5321325 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2016-000066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is an asymptomatic intestinal disorder affecting populations living in conditions of poor sanitation and hygiene. The study tested intestinal barrier function in infants with EED. Methods We prospectively studied an advanced high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry assay of urine collected after oral intake of the monosaccharide, L-rhamnose and the disaccharide, lactulose, in 112 children from three continents. Findings Compared to the US cohort (n=27), the cohorts of children from Peru (n=19) and Zambia (n=85) were older with evidence of growth impairment. The median (range) of age (months) was 8.0 (2.0 to 13.0), 27.0 (15.0 to 29.0) and 21.0 (12.0 to 36.0), respectively. The median (range) of height for age Z score was −0.1 (−1.8 to 2.4), −1.8 (−3.3 to −0.2) and −2.3 (−8.5 to 1.2), respectively. Among children with valid sugar data (n=22 USA, n=19 Peru, n=73 Zambia), there were no significant differences in the median rhamnose urine concentrations between the three groups. The median (range) lactulose concentration (µg/mL) was 6.78 (0.29 to 31.90), 47.60 (4.23 to 379.00) and 75.40 (0.67 to 873.00) in the US, Peruvian and Zambian cohorts, respectively (p<0.001). The lactulose/rhamnose ratio (LRR) was higher in cohorts from Peru (0.75, 0.15, 5.02) and Zambia (2.26, 0.08, 14.48) compared to the US (0.14, 0.06, 1.00) cohort (p<0.001). In a multivariate effect modification model, higher weight-for-age z scores were associated with lower post-dose lactulose when rhamnose excretion was constant (p=0.003). Conclusions This non-invasive two saccharide permeability protocol measures changes in intestinal permeability in children with EED and permits the identification of individuals for interventional trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- W A Faubion
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - M Camilleri
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - J A Murray
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - P Kelly
- Queen Mary, University of London, University of Zambia School of Medicine, London, UK
| | - B Amadi
- Queen Mary, University of London, University of Zambia School of Medicine, London, UK
| | - M N Kosek
- Department of International Health, John's Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - F Enders
- Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - J Larson
- Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - G Boe
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - R Dyer
- Immunochemical Core Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - R Singh
- Immunochemical Core Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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Abstract
Background Stunting is a major public health problem that results from inadequate nutritional intake over a long period of time. Disasters have major implications in poor and vulnerable children. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess the impact of disasters on child stunting in Nepal. Method A sample consisting of 2,111 children aged 6–59 months was obtained from the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey. We used bivariate and multivariate analyses to examine moderate and severe stunting against disaster, controlling for all possible confounders. Result Out of the total study sample, 43% were stunted (17.1% severely and 25.9% moderately). The final model, after adjusting for confounders, showed that epidemics have no impact on child stunting (adjusted odds ratio [OR] =1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.66, 1.97 and adjusted OR =1.04, 95% CI: 0.66, 1.65 for severe and moderate stunting, respectively). Floods have impact on child stunting (adjusted OR =0.57, 95% CI: 0.31, 0.96 and adjusted OR =0.66, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.94 for severe and moderate stunting, respectively). However, children aged 6–11 months, nonvaccinated children, children of working women, children who live in mountainous areas, and children from the poorest households were more likely to be moderately stunted. Similarly, children aged 36–47 months, Dalit and other ethnic groups, children from rural settings, and children from the poorest households were more likely to be severely stunted. Conclusion This article illustrates the need to rethink about child stunting in Nepal. This study suggests need for further research, integration of disaster data in the Nepal Demography Health Survey, educational interventions, public awareness, promotion of vaccination, and equity in health service delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surya Gaire
- Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster (CRED), Institute of Health and Society (IRSS), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tefera Darge Delbiso
- Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster (CRED), Institute of Health and Society (IRSS), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Srijana Pandey
- Department of Nursing, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Institute of Medicine (IOM), Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Debarati Guha-Sapir
- Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster (CRED), Institute of Health and Society (IRSS), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium
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McDonald CM, Manji KP, Gosselin K, Tran H, Liu E, Kisenge R, Aboud S, Fawzi WW, Gewirtz AT, Duggan CP. Elevations in serum anti-flagellin and anti-LPS Igs are related to growth faltering in young Tanzanian children. Am J Clin Nutr 2016; 103:1548-54. [PMID: 27121948 PMCID: PMC4881001 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.116.131409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibodies to LPS and flagellin have been described as indirect measures of increased gastrointestinal permeability and may be markers of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), which is a condition associated with poor child growth. OBJECTIVE We assessed whether LPS- and flagellin-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations were associated with poor growth in young Tanzanian children at risk of EED. DESIGN Blood samples were obtained from 590 children at 6 wk, 6 mo, and 12 mo of age. Serum LPS- and flagellin-specific Ig concentrations (IgA and IgG) were measured with the use of an ELISA. Growth was measured on a monthly basis for 18 mo. RESULTS Anti-LPS and anti-flagellin IgA and IgG concentrations increased over the first year of life and were higher than concentrations (measured at 9 mo of age) in healthy controls. Children with anti-flagellin IgA, anti-LPS IgA, anti-flagellin IgG, and anti-LPS IgG concentrations in the highest quartile at 6 wk of age were 2.02 (95% CI: 1.11, 3.67), 1.84 (95% CI: 1.03, 3.27), 1.94 (95% CI: 1.04, 3.62), and 2.31 (95% CI: 1.25, 4.27) times, respectively, more likely to become underweight (weight-for-age z score <-2) after adjustment for covariates (P-trend < 0.05) than were children with Ig concentrations in the lowest quartile. Children with increased concentrations of anti-flagellin IgA were also more likely to become wasted; however, there was no association between any of the markers and subsequent stunting. CONCLUSION Serologic measures of increased intestinal permeability to bacterial components are associated with subsequent poor growth and could help identify children who may benefit most from preventive interventions. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00421668.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M McDonald
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | | | - Kerri Gosselin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Hao Tran
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA; and
| | - Enju Liu
- Departments of Global Health and Population
| | | | - Said Aboud
- Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Wafaie W Fawzi
- Departments of Global Health and Population, Epidemiology, and Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Andrew T Gewirtz
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA; and
| | - Christopher P Duggan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; Departments of Global Health and Population, Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
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Gilmartin AA, Petri WA. Exploring the role of environmental enteropathy in malnutrition, infant development and oral vaccine response. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:rstb.2014.0143. [PMID: 25964455 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enteropathy (EE) is a poorly defined state of intestinal inflammation without overt diarrhoea that occurs in individuals exposed over time to poor sanitation and hygiene. It is characterized pathologically by small intestine villous blunting and inflammation. In children from low-income countries, it is implicated as a cause of malnutrition, oral vaccine failure and impaired cognitive development. Here we review the search for non-invasive biomarkers to measure EE non-invasively, and assess the current evidence linking EE to malnutrition, vaccine failure and neurocognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allissia A Gilmartin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - William A Petri
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) refers to an incompletely defined syndrome of inflammation, reduced absorptive capacity, and reduced barrier function in the small intestine. It is widespread among children and adults in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding of EED and its possible consequences for health is currently limited. OBJECTIVE A narrative review of the current understanding of EED: epidemiology, pathogenesis, therapies, and relevance to child health. METHODS Searches for key papers and ongoing trials were conducted using PUBMED 1966-June 2014; ClinicalTrials.gov; the WHO Clinical Trials Registry; the Cochrane Library; hand searches of the references of retrieved literature; discussions with experts; and personal experience from the field. RESULTS EED is established during infancy and is associated with poor sanitation, certain gut infections, and micronutrient deficiencies. Helicobacter pylori infection, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), abnormal gut microbiota, undernutrition, and toxins may all play a role. EED is usually asymptomatic, but it is important due to its association with stunting. Diagnosis is frequently by the dual sugar absorption test, although other biomarkers are emerging. EED may partly explain the reduced efficacy of oral vaccines in low- and middle-income countries and the increased risk of serious infection seen in children with undernutrition. CONCLUSIONS Despite its potentially significant impacts, it is currently unclear exactly what causes EED and how it can be treated or prevented. Ongoing trials involve nutritional supplements, water and sanitation interventions, and immunomodulators. Further research is needed to better understand this condition, which is of likely crucial importance for child health and development in low- and middle-income settings.
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Abstract
Giardia lamblia is a flagellated protozoan that is the most common cause of intestinal parasitic infection in children living in resource-limited settings. The pathogenicity of Giardia has been debated since the parasite was first identified, and clinical outcomes vary across studies. Among recent perplexing findings are diametrically opposed associations between Giardia and acute versus persistent diarrhea and a poorly understood potential for long-term sequelae, including impaired child growth and cognitive development. The mechanisms driving these protean clinical outcomes remain elusive, but recent advances suggest that variability in Giardia strains, host nutritional status, the composition of microbiota, co-infecting enteropathogens, host genetically determined mucosal immune responses, and immune modulation by Giardia are all relevant factors influencing disease manifestations after Giardia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luther A. Bartelt
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of VirginiaBox 801340, Charlottesville, VA 22908USA
| | - R. Balfour Sartor
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillCampus Box 7032, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7032USA
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Houpt E, Gratz J, Kosek M, Zaidi AKM, Qureshi S, Kang G, Babji S, Mason C, Bodhidatta L, Samie A, Bessong P, Barrett L, Lima A, Havt A, Haque R, Mondal D, Taniuchi M, Stroup S, McGrath M, Lang D. Microbiologic methods utilized in the MAL-ED cohort study. Clin Infect Dis 2015; 59 Suppl 4:S225-32. [PMID: 25305291 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciu413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A central hypothesis of The Etiology, Risk Factors and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development (MAL-ED) study is that enteropathogens contribute to growth faltering. To examine this question, the MAL-ED network of investigators set out to achieve 3 goals: (1) develop harmonized protocols to test for a diverse range of enteropathogens, (2) provide quality-assured and comparable results from 8 global sites, and (3) achieve maximum laboratory throughput and minimum cost. This paper describes the rationale for the microbiologic assays chosen and methodologies used to accomplish the 3 goals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Carl Mason
- Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | | | | | - Aldo Lima
- Universidade Federal do Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Monica McGrath
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health
| | - Dennis Lang
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health Foundation of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Keusch GT, Denno DM, Black RE, Duggan C, Guerrant RL, Lavery JV, Nataro JP, Rosenberg IH, Ryan ET, Tarr PI, Ward H, Bhutta ZA, Coovadia H, Lima A, Ramakrishna B, Zaidi AKM, Hay Burgess DC, Brewer T. Environmental enteric dysfunction: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and clinical consequences. Clin Infect Dis 2015; 59 Suppl 4:S207-12. [PMID: 25305288 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciu485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stunting is common in young children in developing countries, and is associated with increased morbidity, developmental delays, and mortality. Its complex pathogenesis likely involves poor intrauterine and postnatal nutrition, exposure to microbes, and the metabolic consequences of repeated infections. Acquired enteropathy affecting both gut structure and function likely plays a significant role in this outcome, especially in the first few months of life, and serve as a precursor to later interactions of infection and malnutrition. However, the lack of validated clinical diagnostic criteria has limited the ability to study its role, identify causative factors, and determine cost-effective interventions. This review addresses these issues through a historical approach, and provides recommendations to define and validate a working clinical diagnosis and to guide critical research in this area to effectively proceed. Prevention of early gut functional changes and inflammation may preclude or mitigate the later adverse vicious cycle of malnutrition and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Aldo Lima
- Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | - Anita K M Zaidi
- Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington
| | | | - Thomas Brewer
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington
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Keusch GT, Rosenberg IH, Denno DM, Duggan C, Guerrant RL, Lavery JV, Tarr PI, Ward HD, Black RE, Nataro JP, Ryan ET, Bhutta ZA, Coovadia H, Lima A, Ramakrishna B, Zaidi AKM, Burgess DCH, Brewer T. Implications of acquired environmental enteric dysfunction for growth and stunting in infants and children living in low- and middle-income countries. Food Nutr Bull 2013; 34:357-64. [PMID: 24167916 DOI: 10.1177/156482651303400308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Changes in small bowel function early in infancy in developing countries are increasingly being demonstrated, probably accompanied by altered mucosal architecture in most individuals, including reduced enterocyte mass and evidence of immune activation and inflammation in the mucosa. These alterations appear to be the result of factors of uncertain nature in the environment, and may be a cause of growth faltering and stunting in young children. For these reasons, this constellation of findings is being referred to as environmental enteropathy, or as we propose herein, environmental enteric dysfunction. If the causes were known and effective interventions were available, strategies and policies to intervene at--or possibly before--birth could be developed and promoted in order to prevent subsequent malnutrition and recurrent infection, which are known to interact in a cyclical and synergistic manner in a downward clinical course often ending in death. Resources would be mobilized and applied differently, and the emphasis would change from treatment to prevention. In order to move in this highly desired direction, investments in research will be required to establish the criteria to assess environmental enteric dysfunction, determine its predictive value for growth faltering and stunting, identify the causes, and propose and test potential interventions. The concepts and tools are available. What is required is the decision to move forward along this pathway to better health for infants and children in low-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald T Keusch
- Boston University Medical Campus, 620 Albany Street, Boston MA 02118, USA.
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Verhagen LM, Incani RN, Franco CR, Ugarte A, Cadenas Y, Sierra Ruiz CI, Hermans PWM, Hoek D, Campos Ponce M, de Waard JH, Pinelli E. High malnutrition rate in Venezuelan Yanomami compared to Warao Amerindians and Creoles: significant associations with intestinal parasites and anemia. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77581. [PMID: 24143243 PMCID: PMC3797096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children in rural areas experience the interrelated problems of poor growth, anemia and parasitic infections. We investigated the prevalence of and associations between intestinal helminth and protozoan infections, malnutrition and anemia in school-age Venezuelan children. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in 390 children aged 4-16 years from three rural areas of Venezuela: the Amazon Region, Orinoco Delta and Carabobo State. Stool samples were collected for direct parasitic examinations. Anthropometric indicators of chronic (height-for-age Z score) and acute (weight-for-height and Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age Z score in respectively children under 5 years of age and children aged 5 years and above) malnutrition were calculated. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were built to determine factors associated with nutritional status and polyparasitism. RESULTS Hookworm and Strongyloides stercoralis prevalences were highest in children from the Amazon rainforest (respectively 72% and 18%) while children from the Orinoco Delta and Carabobo State showed higher rates of Ascaris lumbricoides (respectively 28% and 37%) and Trichuris trichiura (40% in both regions). The prevalence of Giardia lamblia infection was not significantly different between regions (average: 18%). Anemia prevalence was highest in the Amazon Region (24%). Hemoglobin levels were significantly decreased in children with a hookworm infection. Malnutrition was present in respectively 84%, 30% and 13% of children from the Amazon Region, Orinoco Delta and Carabobo State. In multivariate analysis including all regions, G. lamblia and helminth infections were significantly and negatively associated with respectively height-for-age and weight-for-height/BMI-for-age Z scores. Furthermore, hemoglobin levels were positively associated with the height-for-age Z score (0.11, 95% CI 0.02 - 0.20). CONCLUSIONS In rural populations in Venezuela helminthiasis and giardiasis were associated with acute and chronic nutritional status respectively. These data highlight the need for an integrated approach to control transmission of parasites and improve the health status of rural Venezuelan children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilly M. Verhagen
- Laboratorio de Tuberculosis, Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Laboratory of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Renzo N. Incani
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela
| | - Carolina R. Franco
- Departamento de Pediatría, Hospital de Niños ‘J.M. de los Ríos’, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Alejandra Ugarte
- Escuela de Bioanálisis, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Yeneska Cadenas
- Escuela de Bioanálisis, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Carmen I. Sierra Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Tuberculosis, Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Peter W. M. Hermans
- Laboratory of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Denise Hoek
- Center for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Maiza Campos Ponce
- Department of Health Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jacobus H. de Waard
- Laboratorio de Tuberculosis, Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Elena Pinelli
- Center for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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Bartelt LA, Roche J, Kolling G, Bolick D, Noronha F, Naylor C, Hoffman P, Warren C, Singer S, Guerrant R. Persistent G. lamblia impairs growth in a murine malnutrition model. J Clin Invest 2013; 123:2672-84. [PMID: 23728173 DOI: 10.1172/jci67294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Accepted: 03/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Giardia lamblia infections are nearly universal among children in low-income countries and are syndemic with the triumvirate of malnutrition, diarrhea, and developmental growth delays. Amidst the morass of early childhood enteropathogen exposures in these populations, G. lamblia–specific associations with persistent diarrhea, cognitive deficits, stunting, and nutrient deficiencies have demonstrated conflicting results, placing endemic pediatric giardiasis in a state of equipoise. Many infections in endemic settings appear to be asymptomatic/ subclinical, further contributing to uncertainty regarding a causal link between G. lamblia infection and developmental delay. We used G. lamblia H3 cyst infection in a weaned mouse model of malnutrition to demonstrate that persistent giardiasis leads to epithelial cell apoptosis and crypt hyperplasia. Infection was associated with a Th2-biased inflammatory response and impaired growth. Malnutrition accentuated the severity of these growth decrements. Faltering malnourished mice exhibited impaired compensatory responses following infection and demonstrated an absence of crypt hyperplasia and subsequently blunted villus architecture. Concomitantly, severe malnutrition prevented increases in B220+ cells in the lamina propria as well as mucosal Il4 and Il5 mRNA in response to infection. These findings add insight into the potential role of G. lamblia as a "stunting" pathogen and suggest that, similarly, malnourished children may be at increased risk of G. lamblia– potentiated growth decrements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luther A Bartelt
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Center for Global Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, USA.
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van der Merwe LF, Moore SE, Fulford AJ, Halliday KE, Drammeh S, Young S, Prentice AM. Long-chain PUFA supplementation in rural African infants: a randomized controlled trial of effects on gut integrity, growth, and cognitive development. Am J Clin Nutr 2013; 97:45-57. [PMID: 23221579 PMCID: PMC3522138 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.112.042267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intestinal damage and malabsorption caused by chronic environmental enteropathy are associated with growth faltering seen in infants in less-developed countries. Evidence has suggested that supplementary omega-3 (n-3) long-chain PUFAs (LC-PUFAs) might ameliorate this damage by reducing gastrointestinal inflammation. LC-PUFA supplementation may also benefit cognitive development. OBJECTIVE We tested whether early n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation improves infant intestinal integrity, growth, and cognitive function. DESIGN A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial [200 mg DHA and 300 mg EPA or 2 mL olive oil/d for 6 mo] was conducted in a population of 172 rural Gambian infants aged 3-9 mo. The primary endpoints were anthropometric measures and gut integrity [assessed by using urinary lactulose:mannitol ratios (LMRs)]. Plasma fatty acid status, intestinal mucosal inflammation (fecal calprotectin), daily morbidity, and cognitive development (2-step means-end test and an attention assessment) were secondary endpoints. RESULTS PUFA supplementation resulted in a significant increase in plasma n-3 LC-PUFA concentrations (P < 0.001 for both DHA and EPA) and midupper arm circumference (MUAC) (effect size: 0.31 z scores; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.56; P = 0.017) at 9 mo of age. At 12 mo, MUAC remained greater in the intervention group, and we observed significant increases in skinfold thicknesses (P ≤ 0.022 for all). No other significant differences between treatment groups were detected for growth or LMRs at 9 mo or for secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Fish-oil supplementation successfully increased plasma n-3 fatty acid status. However, in young, breastfed Gambian infants, the intervention failed to improve linear growth, intestinal integrity, morbidity, or selected measures of cognitive development. The trial was registered at www.isrctn.org as ISRCTN66645725.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liandré F van der Merwe
- Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Mondal D, Minak J, Alam M, Liu Y, Dai J, Korpe P, Liu L, Haque R, Petri WA. Contribution of enteric infection, altered intestinal barrier function, and maternal malnutrition to infant malnutrition in Bangladesh. Clin Infect Dis 2011; 54:185-92. [PMID: 22109945 DOI: 10.1093/cid/cir807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malnourished children are at increased risk for death due to diarrhea. Our goal was to determine the contribution of specific enteric infections to malnutrition-associated diarrhea and to determine the role of enteric infections in the development of malnutrition. METHODS Children from an urban slum in Bangladesh were followed for the first year of life by every-other-day home visits. Enteropathogens were identified in diarrheal and monthly surveillance stools; intestinal barrier function was measured by serum endocab antibodies; and nutritional status was measured by anthropometry. RESULTS Diarrhea occurred 4.69 ± 0.19 times per child per year, with the most common infections caused by enteric protozoa (amebiasis, cryptosporidiosis, and giardiasis), rotavirus, astrovirus, and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). Malnutrition was present in 16.3% of children at birth and 42.4% at 12 months of age. Children malnourished at birth had increased Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium, and ETEC infections and more severe diarrhea. Children who became malnourished by 12 months of age were more likely to have prolonged diarrhea, intestinal barrier dysfunction, a mother without education, and low family expenditure. CONCLUSIONS Prospective observation of infants in an urban slum demonstrated that diarrheal diseases were associated with the development of malnutrition that was in turn linked to intestinal barrier disruption and that diarrhea was more severe in already malnourished children. The enteric protozoa were unexpectedly important causes of diarrhea in this setting. This study demonstrates the complex interrelationship of malnutrition and diarrhea in infants in low-income settings and points to the potential for infectious disease interventions in the prevention and treatment of malnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Mondal
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Laboratory Sciences Division, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Mullen A, Gosset L, Larke N, Manno D, Chisenga M, Kasonka L, Filteau S. The effects of micronutrient-fortified complementary/replacement food on intestinal permeability and systemic markers of inflammation among maternally HIV-exposed and unexposed Zambian infants. Br J Nutr 2012; 107:893-902. [PMID: 21899803 DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511003734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The present randomised trial investigated the effects of feeding Zambian infants from 6 to 18 months old either a richly or basal micronutrient-fortified complementary/replacement food on gut integrity and systemic inflammation. Blood samples were obtained from all infants (n 743) at 6 and 18 months for the assessment of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). A subsample of 502 infants, selected from the main cohort to include a larger proportion of infants with HIV-positive mothers, was assigned to lactulose/mannitol gut permeability tests. Lactulose:mannitol (L:M) ratio analyses were adjusted for baseline urinary L:M ratio, socio-economic status, mother's education, season of birth and baseline stunting, and stratified by maternal antenatal HIV status, child's sex, concurrent breast-feeding status and anaemia at baseline. There was no significant difference in geometric mean L:M ratio between the richly fortified and basal-fortified porridge arms at 12 months (0·47 (95 % CI 0·41, 0·55) v. 0·41 (95 % CI 0·34, 0·49); P = 0·16 adjusted). At 18 months, the richly fortified porridge group had a significantly higher geometric mean L:M ratio than the basal-fortified group (0·23 (95 % CI 0·19, 0·28) v. 0·15 (95 % CI 0·12, 0·19); P = 0·02 adjusted). This effect was evident for all stratifications, significantly among boys (P = 0·04), among the infants of HIV-negative mothers (P = 0·01), among the infants of HIV-negative mothers not concurrently breast-fed (P = 0·01) and among those who were not anaemic at baseline (P = 0·03). CRP, but not AGP, was positively associated with L:M ratio, but there were no significant effects of the diet on either CRP or AGP. In conclusion, a richly fortified complementary/replacement food did not benefit and may have worsened intestinal permeability.
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Jerlström-Hultqvist J, Franzén O, Ankarklev J, Xu F, Nohýnková E, Andersson JO, Svärd SG, Andersson B. Genome analysis and comparative genomics of a Giardia intestinalis assemblage E isolate. BMC Genomics 2010; 11:543. [PMID: 20929575 PMCID: PMC3091692 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-11-543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2010] [Accepted: 10/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Giardia intestinalis is a protozoan parasite that causes diarrhea in a wide range of mammalian species. To further understand the genetic diversity between the Giardia intestinalis species, we have performed genome sequencing and analysis of a wild-type Giardia intestinalis sample from the assemblage E group, isolated from a pig. Results We identified 5012 protein coding genes, the majority of which are conserved compared to the previously sequenced genomes of the WB and GS strains in terms of microsynteny and sequence identity. Despite this, there is an unexpectedly large number of chromosomal rearrangements and several smaller structural changes that are present in all chromosomes. Novel members of the VSP, NEK Kinase and HCMP gene families were identified, which may reveal possible mechanisms for host specificity and new avenues for antigenic variation. We used comparative genomics of the three diverse Giardia intestinalis isolates P15, GS and WB to define a core proteome for this species complex and to identify lineage-specific genes. Extensive analyses of polymorphisms in the core proteome of Giardia revealed differential rates of divergence among cellular processes. Conclusions Our results indicate that despite a well conserved core of genes there is significant genome variation between Giardia isolates, both in terms of gene content, gene polymorphisms, structural chromosomal variations and surface molecule repertoires. This study improves the annotation of the Giardia genomes and enables the identification of functionally important variation.
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