Annals of Human Biology最新文献

Background: Genome-wide association studies of COVID-19 severity have been carried out mostly on European or East Asian populations with small representation of other world regions. Here we explore the worldwide distribution and linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns of genetic variants previously associated with COVID-19 severity.

Methods: We followed up the results of a large Spanish genome-wide meta-analysis on 26 populations from the 1000 Genomes Project by calculating allele frequencies and LD scores of the nine most significant SNPs. We also used the entire set of summary statistics to compute polygenic risk scores (PRSs) and carried out comparisons at the population and continental level.

Results: We observed the strongest differences among continental regions for the five top SNPs in chromosome 3. European, American, and South Asian populations showed similar LD patterns. Average PRSs in South Asian and American populations were consistently higher than those observed in Europeans. While PRS distributions were similar among South Asians, the American populations showed striking differences among them.

Conclusions: Considering the caveats of PRS transferability across ethnicities, our analysis showed that American populations present the highest genetic risk score, hence potentially higher propensity, for COVID-19 severity. Independent validation is warranted with additional summary statistics and phenotype data.

Background: Knowledge about the influence of early developmental factors on cardiometabolic health in the Maya is limited.

Aim: To analyse the relationship between birthweight (BW) and cardiometabolic parameters in a sample of rural Maya children from Yucatan, Mexico.

Subjects and methods: We took anthropometric measurements and obtained data on BW and fasting blood samples in a sample of 75 children aged 5-14 years. Dependent variables were: fat mass index (FMI), body mass index (BMI), glucose (G), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), LDL/HDL and TC/HDL ratios and metabolic index (TGxG/HDL²). Outcomes were transformed to y = 100 log(e)x and the resulting estimates are interpreted as symmetrical percentage differences. The main independent variable was BW z-score. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between BW and outcomes.

Results: An increase of one standard deviation in BW predicted 6.6% (95% CI [-11.6, -1.6]) decrease in HDL and 11% (95% CI [3.7, 18.4]), 7.8% (95% CI [2.3, 13.2]) and 19.6% (95% CI [3.1, 36]) increases in LDL/HDL, TC/HDL and metabolic index, respectively.

Conclusion: Higher birthweights were associated with adverse levels of biochemical parameters in this sample of rural Maya children.

Background: Rising global obesity rates are linked with inflammation and associated morbidities. These negative outcomes are generally more common in low-resource communities within high-income countries; however, it is unclear how frequent infectious disease exposures in these settings may influence the relationship between adiposity and inflammation.

Aim: We test associations between adiposity measures and distinct forms of inflammation among adults (n = 80) living in low-resource U.S. communities experiencing high levels of obesity and pathogen exposure.

Subjects and methods: Adiposity measures included BMI and percent body fat. Inflammation measures included systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP]) and localised intestinal inflammation (faecal calprotectin [FC]). The relationship between a condition characterised by elevated inflammation (Helicobacter pylori infection) and adiposity was also considered.

Results: Adiposity was not significantly related to FC concentration. However, both adiposity measures were positively related with odds of CRP elevation and H. pylori infection was associated with significantly lower adiposity measures (all p < 0.05).

Conclusion: For this disadvantaged U.S. sample, the association between adiposity and inflammation varies by the systemic/localised nature of inflammation and the likely underlying cause of inflammation. Defining these associations will improve understanding of how rising obesity rates shape long-term health inequities, with implications for more effective intervention design.

Background: The Old Friends Hypothesis suggests limited exposure to symbionts during development leads to immune system dysregulation (e.g. allergies, autoimmunity) and inflammatory conditions (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease), with likely sex-specific variation based on exposure risk and sex hormones. Limited research documents how variation in childhood exposures affect older adult health.

Aim: We tested relationships between current intestinal inflammation and childhood environment in 84 older adults (51-88 years) living in Colorado, USA.

Subjects and methods: Faecal calprotectin (FC), a biomarker of intestinal inflammation, was measured from stool samples. Structured interviews assessed farm animal exposure during childhood and childhood environments (urban, suburban, rural) at different age periods (0 to 5, 5 to 10, 10 to 20 years).

Results and conclusions: Farm animal exposure was not significantly associated with FC. Females who grew up in suburban environments, especially between the ages of 5 and 10, had higher FC than females from urban or rural environments (p < 0.05). Males living in urban environments between the ages of 10 and 20 had the lowest FC compared to both other environments (p < 0.05). We found mixed, age- and sex-specific support for the idea that childhood exposures alter risk of inflammatory disease later in life.

Background: The charity foundation Association Soutien Enfants Togo started a child health care (CHC) centre in Togo that was modelled after the Dutch high-quality CHC system to improve child health.

Aim: To describe health care data of children who visited the centre.

Subjects and methods: Data were routinely collected between October 2010-July 2017. Outcomes were completed vaccinations, growth, development, lifestyle, physical examination, and laboratory testing results.

Results: In total, 8,809 children aged 0-24 years were available. Half (47.5%) of children aged 0-4 years did not receive all eligible free vaccinations from the government. The proportions of stunted children (all) or with a developmental delay (0-4 years) were 10.1% and 9.5%, respectively. In total, 40-50% of all children did not wash their hands with soap after toilet or before eating, or did not use clean drinking water. Furthermore, 5.1-6.6% had insufficient vision, high eye pressure or hearing loss. Sickle cell disease was detected in 5.3%.

Conclusion: A large group of children in need of prevention and early treatment were detected, informed and treated by the centre. Further research is needed to confirm if this strategy can improve children's health in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our data are available for further research.

Background: Motor performances of youth are related to growth and maturity status, among other factors.

Aim: To estimate the contribution of skeletal maturity status per se to the motor performances of female athletes aged 10-15 years and the mediation effects of growth status on the relationships.

Subjects and methods: Skeletal age (TW3 RUS SA), body size, proportions, estimated fat-free mass (FFM), motor performances, training history and participation motivation were assessed in 80 non-skeletally mature female participants in several sports. Hierarchical and regression-based statistical mediation analyses were used.

Results: SA per se explained a maximum of 1.8% and 5.8% of the variance in motor performances of athletes aged 10-12 and 13-15 years, respectively, over and above that explained by covariates. Body size, proportions, and hours per week of training and participation motivation explained, respectively, a maximum of 40.7%, 18.8%, and 22.6% of the variance in performances. Mediation analysis indicated specific indirect effects of SA through stature and body mass, alone or in conjunction with FFM on performances.

Conclusion: SA per se accounted for small and non-significant amounts of variance in several motor performances of female youth athletes; rather, SA influenced performances indirectly through effects on stature, body mass and estimated FFM.

Background: Six Homo naledi early juveniles were recovered from U.W. 101 (Dinaledi Chamber), U.W. 102 (Lesedi Chamber), and U.W. 110 in the Rising Star cave system.

Aim: This paper develops the information for the H. naledi early juvenile life stage, as defined by a combination of deciduous and permanent dentition, and the eruption of the first permanent molar.

Subjects and methods: The growing number of young individuals recovered from the Rising Star cave system allows us to gain a better understanding of their variation, or lack thereof, and provides a basis to estimate broad ranges for age at death of the individuals. The individuals are identified and described through craniodental remains and spatial associations.

Results and conclusion: Our results show that the teeth are remarkably consistent across the localities in their metric and non-metric traits, and our analyses refine previous estimations on dental eruptions with the first permanent molar erupting first in the sequence among permanent teeth.

Background: Adolescent violence victimisation is associated with a spectrum of adult social and behavioural health outcomes, including adverse mental health symptoms. However, underlying social stress mechanisms linking adolescent victimisation to adult cardiometabolic health remains poorly understood.

Aim: The current study aims to reveal how adolescent and adult interpersonal violence exposures each get "under the skin" to affect adult metabolic syndrome, including direct victimisation and, additionally, witnessing violence.

Subjects and methods: We use a nationally representative longitudinal cohort, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, and leverage a quasi-experimental approach, propensity score matching regression analysis (n = 14,267).

Results: We find that adolescent violence exposure carries an enduring effect on young adult metabolic syndrome risk factor incidence and high-risk status, which is independent of young adult violence. Violence effects do not vary by sex or racial identity.

Conclusion: In sum, adolescent exposure to direct interpersonal violence significantly affects young adult cardiometabolic health in ways suggesting adolescence is a sensitive period for the onset of harmful cardiometabolic effects in early adulthood. Findings warrant future study of underlying pathways and how these effects shape social inequities in cardiometabolic health among U.S. adults broadly.

Background: Lifestyles of contemporary children are largely organised with relatively little time for free play.

Aim: To compare the growth, maturity status, motor proficiency and physical fitness of non-participants and participants in organised sports 7-10 years.

Subjects and methods: Height, weight, skeletal age (SA), physical activity, fundamental motor skills, motor coordination and fitness were assessed in 234 boys and 235 girls. Sex-specific comparisons of the characteristics of sport participants and non-participants 7-8 and 9-10 years were evaluated with Student's t and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: Boys and girls in each age group active in sport had significantly higher levels of sport-related physical activity. At 7-8 years, boys active in sport were significantly taller and heavier than peers not active in sport, while girls not active in sport performed significantly better in ball rolling and balance. At 9-10 years, boys active in sport were more proficient in catching, while girls active in sport were more proficient in hopping and side-to-side jumping.

Conclusion: SA and performances among children 7-10 years active and not active in sport were largely non-significant statistically, while those active in sport were physically more active.