American Journal of Human Biology最新文献

Inflammation is the immune system's natural response to initial tuberculosis infection. Tuberculosis bacteria have gained adaptations to manipulate the inflammatory process, sometimes settling into latency and containment in granulomas, ensuring their survival. Grounded in an evolutionary framework, this hypothesis-driven narrative synthesis centers upon immune-related switches, macrophage manipulations, and the critical roles of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in the body, exploring how this pro-inflammatory mitogen expressed by M1 macrophages frames risks for latent tuberculosis reactivation. The review focuses on trauma, ovulation, and depression, three case studies of pro-inflammatory switches creating risks for reactivation because of M1 macrophage polarization, the up-regulation of VEGFA expression, and angiogenesis (the sprouting of new blood vessels). A biological rationale is extended for why skeletal tuberculosis is so often connected with onsets in childhood, why adolescent and reproductive age females may experience heightened risks for latent tuberculosis reactivation relative to males, and why there is a potential for latent tuberculosis reactivation following onsets of depression. The immunity switches and reactivation risks of trauma, ovulation, and depression are problematic, particularly in contexts of endemic tuberculosis if large numbers of people are routinely latently infected, and among individuals with natural “high producer” VEGFA phenotypes, or those with strong type 1/M1/T_H1 or type 3/M1/T_H17 pro-inflammatory switch tendencies, and in infections with tuberculosis bacteria possessing macrophage- and granuloma-manipulating adaptations (virulence factors). Arguably, any disease or physiological state engaging pro-inflammatory switches (common and sometimes chronic in the modern population) and M1 macrophage polarizations, and any drug treatments or therapeutics intending to alter VEGFA expression should be considered for latent tuberculosis reactivation risk.

The SCRIBE (SystematiC Reviews In Biocultural rEsearch) toolkit offers a structured approach for conducting scoping and systematic reviews in biocultural research. It addresses the challenges of synthesizing information, aggregating diverse data, and conducting robust analyses in this field. Biocultural research is vital to anthropology, public health, community health, and policy, as it reveals biological and cultural determinants of health and disparities globally. However, systematic reviews often exclude biocultural factors, leading to biased evidence that overlooks Indigenous, ethnic minority, and small-scale populations. To fill this gap, the SCRIBE toolkit guides researchers in integrating biocultural frameworks into review methodologies. Developed from a comprehensive literature review and a survey of leading journals (2019–2025), it responds to the underuse of biocultural perspectives in formal reviews. The SCRIBE toolkit is composed of six sequential steps: (i) decide on the type of review, (ii) select a suitable framework (e.g., PICOS, PEO, SPIDER, PCC), (iii) develop the search protocol, (iv) title/abstract screening and full-text reading, (v) data extraction, risk of bias, and meta-analysis, (vi) finalize the review. It can be implemented using accessible platforms like Notion and Trello to enhance usability and collaboration or used as a Word file. By mapping biocultural variables into an operational framework and aligning them with established review protocols, the SCRIBE toolkit promotes interdisciplinary, context-sensitive, and equitable research synthesis. It bridges methodological gaps between anthropology, public health, and evidence-based practice, supporting the inclusion of marginalized populations and complex cultural contexts. SCRIBE serves as both a practical tool and a call to broaden the epistemological and methodological boundaries of review science within human biology and related fields.