Stunting is characterized by chronic inflammation in Zimbabwean infants.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Stunting affects one-third of children in developing countries, but the causes remain unclear. We hypothesized that enteropathy leads to low-grade inflammation, which suppresses the growth hormone-IGF axis and mediates stunting.

Methods

We conducted a case-control study of 202 HIV-unexposed Zimbabwean infants who were stunted (height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) <-2; cases) or non-stunted (HAZ >-0.5; controls) at 18 months. We measured biomarkers of intestinal damage (I-FABP), inflammation (CRP, AGP, IL-6) and growth hormone-IGF axis (IGF-1, IGFBP3) in infant plasma at 6 weeks and 3, 6, 12 and 18 months, and in paired maternal-infant plasma at birth. Adjusted mean differences between biomarkers were estimated using regression models. Multivariate odds ratios of stunting

SUBMITTER: Prendergast AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3928146 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature