Intestinal inflammation measured by fecal neopterin in Gambian children with enteropathy: association with growth failure, Giardia lamblia, and intestinal permeability
Intestinal inflammation measured by fecal neopterin in Gambian children with enteropathy: association with growth failure, Giardia lamblia, and intestinal permeability
Objectives: Investigate whether fecal neopterin concentration (a potential marker of gut inflammation) in Gambian children with enteropathy was associated with growth failure. Secondary outcome measures tested the associations between Giardia lamblia infestation, fecal neopterin and lactulose mannitol absorption ratio(L:M), a measure of intestinal permeability.
Methods: Seventy-two children had height and weight measured every 6 to 8 weeks until 15 months of age in a rural Gambian village. L:M ratio, a measure of small intestinal permeability and fecal neopterin were measured at these times. Stool was examined by immunoflorescence and light microscope for Giardia cysts.
Results: Long-term height and weight gains were negatively associated with mean subject fecal neopterin concentration (r = -0.29 and -0.36, respectively; P < 0.001). There was no correlation between fecal neopterin and intestinal permeability or history of diarrhea. Of 72 children studied, 19 had Giardia cysts in stool and 38 had negative stool examinations. Infected children had a mean of 0.7 days of diarrhea/week (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31-1.03) versus 0.8 days/week (95% CI, 0.71-0.85) in uninfected children. No difference in growth was detected between those with positive or negative fecal smears. Mean L:M ratio was the same in both groups (0.31; 95% CI, 0.26-0.34).
Conclusions: Consistent with the theory that intestinal inflammation in tropical infants may impair growth, fecal neopterin concentrations were inversely associated with growth. Factors other than Giardia are causing enteropathy and growth failure in Gambian infants.
153-157
Campbell, David I.
7a02c4a4-8636-4d3d-b31f-91146fdbfaa3
McPhail, Graham
370667c4-c0af-4936-98c2-c205b358dabc
Lunn, Peter G.
b277f890-2d4d-40fd-aeca-ee415bff03b3
Elia, Marinos
964bf436-e623-46d6-bc3f-5dd04c9ef4c1
Jeffries, Donald J.
a106dcd1-bde0-47ce-8f11-39a4a7bfe1a7
2004
Campbell, David I.
7a02c4a4-8636-4d3d-b31f-91146fdbfaa3
McPhail, Graham
370667c4-c0af-4936-98c2-c205b358dabc
Lunn, Peter G.
b277f890-2d4d-40fd-aeca-ee415bff03b3
Elia, Marinos
964bf436-e623-46d6-bc3f-5dd04c9ef4c1
Jeffries, Donald J.
a106dcd1-bde0-47ce-8f11-39a4a7bfe1a7
Campbell, David I., McPhail, Graham, Lunn, Peter G., Elia, Marinos and Jeffries, Donald J.
(2004)
Intestinal inflammation measured by fecal neopterin in Gambian children with enteropathy: association with growth failure, Giardia lamblia, and intestinal permeability.
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 39 (2), .
Abstract
Objectives: Investigate whether fecal neopterin concentration (a potential marker of gut inflammation) in Gambian children with enteropathy was associated with growth failure. Secondary outcome measures tested the associations between Giardia lamblia infestation, fecal neopterin and lactulose mannitol absorption ratio(L:M), a measure of intestinal permeability.
Methods: Seventy-two children had height and weight measured every 6 to 8 weeks until 15 months of age in a rural Gambian village. L:M ratio, a measure of small intestinal permeability and fecal neopterin were measured at these times. Stool was examined by immunoflorescence and light microscope for Giardia cysts.
Results: Long-term height and weight gains were negatively associated with mean subject fecal neopterin concentration (r = -0.29 and -0.36, respectively; P < 0.001). There was no correlation between fecal neopterin and intestinal permeability or history of diarrhea. Of 72 children studied, 19 had Giardia cysts in stool and 38 had negative stool examinations. Infected children had a mean of 0.7 days of diarrhea/week (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31-1.03) versus 0.8 days/week (95% CI, 0.71-0.85) in uninfected children. No difference in growth was detected between those with positive or negative fecal smears. Mean L:M ratio was the same in both groups (0.31; 95% CI, 0.26-0.34).
Conclusions: Consistent with the theory that intestinal inflammation in tropical infants may impair growth, fecal neopterin concentrations were inversely associated with growth. Factors other than Giardia are causing enteropathy and growth failure in Gambian infants.
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Published date: 2004
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Local EPrints ID: 25346
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/25346
ISSN: 0277-2116
PURE UUID: 0f300c74-fe87-431b-a0ad-304712a2fe60
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Date deposited: 07 Apr 2006
Last modified: 22 Jul 2022 20:30
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Author:
David I. Campbell
Author:
Graham McPhail
Author:
Peter G. Lunn
Author:
Donald J. Jeffries
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