Authors: Bunders, Madeleine¹; Lugada, Eric²; Mermin, Jonathan²; Downing, Robert²; Were, Willy²; Thorne, Claire¹; Newell, Marie-Louise¹; The European Collaborative Study¹

Source: Annals of Tropical Paediatrics: International Child Health, Volume 26, Number 3, September 2006 , pp. 169-179(11)

Publisher: Maney Publishing

Abstract:

Background: Racial immuno-haematological differences have been reported in children but to date have not been well quantified.

Aim: To investigate differences in haemato-immunological markers over age between children born and living in Europe and Uganda.

Subjects: HIV-uninfected children living in Uganda (n=1633) with cross-sectional data. Black (n=604) and white children (n=1355) living in Europe, both with prospective data. The children born in Europe were HIV-uninfected but born to HIV-infected mothers and were included in the European Collaborative Study (ECS).

Methods: Patterns and levels of total lymphocyte (TLC), CD4+, CD8+ counts and CD4% were visualised by smoothers (a line representing the weighted average of all measurements over age by study group). Differences between groups were quantified using age-standardised Z-scores for individual TLC, CD4+ and CD8+ counts in uni- and multivariate regression models.

Results: In infancy, TLC, CD4+ and CD8+ counts were lower in Ugandan than black European children; neutrophil counts were similar. Thereafter, only neutrophil counts were lower in Ugandan children. To assess within-race differences, we compared Z-scores of ECS children born to Ugandan mothers with those of Ugandan children. Levels of all four markers were lower in Ugandan children at all ages. In Ugandan children, CD4+ counts were 0.5985 Z-score (p<0.001) and neutrophil counts 0.3872 Z-score (p<0.001) lower than in European children born to Ugandan mothers.

Conclusions: There are differences in levels of haemato-immunological markers in children with comparable genetic backgrounds, suggesting that environmental factors such as nutrition and exposure to micro-organisms might have important effects on the developing immune system.

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/146532806X120255

Affiliations: 1: Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology, Institute of Child Health, University College, London, UK 2: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Uganda, Global AIDS Program, National Centre for HIV, STD and TB, and Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda

Publication date: 2006-09-01

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• In 2012 Annals of Tropical Paediatrics changed its name to Paediatrics and International Child Health to reflect changes and developments in the subject area. View the issues of Paediatrics and International Child Health available online.
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