Childhood developmental environment affects adult intestinal inflammation levels: preliminary evidence from older adults in the United States
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 hormone...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Annals of Human Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/03014460.2024.2427593 |
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| author | Courtney Manthey Meg Super Tara J. Cepon-Robins |
| author_facet | Courtney Manthey Meg Super Tara J. Cepon-Robins |
| author_sort | Courtney Manthey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2e5ac367db344433b7eb4071aff4910e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0301-4460 1464-5033 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annals of Human Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-2e5ac367db344433b7eb4071aff4910e2025-08-20T02:35:29ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAnnals of Human Biology0301-44601464-50332024-12-0151110.1080/03014460.2024.2427593Childhood developmental environment affects adult intestinal inflammation levels: preliminary evidence from older adults in the United StatesCourtney Manthey0Meg Super1Tara J. Cepon-Robins2Anthropology Department, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USABiology Department, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USAAnthropology Department, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USABackground 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.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/03014460.2024.2427593Ageingfaecal calprotectingastrointestinal healthold friends hypothesis |
| spellingShingle | Courtney Manthey Meg Super Tara J. Cepon-Robins Childhood developmental environment affects adult intestinal inflammation levels: preliminary evidence from older adults in the United States Annals of Human Biology Ageing faecal calprotectin gastrointestinal health old friends hypothesis |
| title | Childhood developmental environment affects adult intestinal inflammation levels: preliminary evidence from older adults in the United States |
| title_full | Childhood developmental environment affects adult intestinal inflammation levels: preliminary evidence from older adults in the United States |
| title_fullStr | Childhood developmental environment affects adult intestinal inflammation levels: preliminary evidence from older adults in the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Childhood developmental environment affects adult intestinal inflammation levels: preliminary evidence from older adults in the United States |
| title_short | Childhood developmental environment affects adult intestinal inflammation levels: preliminary evidence from older adults in the United States |
| title_sort | childhood developmental environment affects adult intestinal inflammation levels preliminary evidence from older adults in the united states |
| topic | Ageing faecal calprotectin gastrointestinal health old friends hypothesis |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/03014460.2024.2427593 |
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