Infection-exposure in infancy is associated with reduced allergy-related disease in later childhood in a Ugandan cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Lack of early infection-exposure has been associated with increased allergy-related disease (ARD) susceptibility. In tropical Africa, little is known about which infections contribute to development of ARDs, and at which time.

Methods

We used latent class analysis to characterise the early infection-exposure of participants in a Ugandan birth cohort and assessed ARDs in later childhood.

Results

Of 2345 live births, 2115 children (90%) had data on infections within the first year of life while 1179 (50%) had outcome data at 9 years. We identified two latent classes of children based on first-year infection-exposure. Class 1 (32% membership), characterised by higher probabilities for malaria (80%), diarrhoea (76%), and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI

SUBMITTER: Lubyayi L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8457824 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature