Fecal Markers of Environmental Enteropathy are Associated with Animal Exposure and Caregiver Hygiene in Bangladesh.

ABSTRACT: Undernutrition is estimated to be an underlying cause of over half of all deaths in young children globally. There is a growing body of literature suggesting that increased exposure to enteric pathogens is responsible for environmental enteropathy (EE), a disorder associated with impaired growth in children. To determine if household unsanitary environmental conditions were significantly associated with EE and stunting in children, we conducted a cohort of 216 children (≤ 30 months) in rural Bangladesh. Stool was analyzed for four fecal markers of EE: alpha-1-antitrypsin, myeloperoxidase, and neopterin combined to form an EE disease activity score, and calprotectin. We observed a significant association between having an animal corral in a child's sleeping room and elevated EE scores (1.0

SUBMITTER: George CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4530746 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature