Use of quantitative molecular diagnostic methods to investigate the effect of enteropathogen infections on linear growth in children in low-resource settings: longitudinal analysis of results from the MAL-ED cohort study

Publication date: Available online 1 October 2018Source: The Lancet Global HealthAuthor(s): Elizabeth T Rogawski, Jie Liu, James A Platts-Mills, Furqan Kabir, Paphavee Lertsethtakarn, Mery Siguas, Shaila S Khan, Ira Praharaj, Arinao Murei, Rosemary Nshama, Buliga Mujaga, Alexandre Havt, Irene A Maciel, Darwin J Operario, Mami Taniuchi, Jean Gratz, Suzanne E Stroup, James H Roberts, Adil Kalam, Fatima AzizSummaryBackgroundEnteropathogen infections in early childhood not only cause diarrhoea but contribute to poor growth. We used molecular diagnostics to assess whether particular enteropathogens were associated with linear growth across seven low-resource settings.MethodsWe used quantitative PCR to detect 29 enteropathogens in diarrhoeal and non-diarrhoeal stools collected from children in the first 2 years of life obtained during the Etiology, Risk Factors, and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development (MAL-ED) multisite cohort study. Length was measured monthly. We estimated associations between aetiology-specific diarrhoea and subclinical enteropathogen infection and quantity and attained length in 3 month intervals, at age 2 and 5 years, and used a longitudinal model to account for temporality and time-dependent confounding.FindingsAmong 1469 children who completed 2 year follow-up, 35 622 stool samples were tested and yielded valid results. Diarrhoeal episodes attributed to bacteria and parasites, but not vi...
Source: The Lancet Global Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research