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Factors Influencing Growth of Children Aged 12-24 Months in the Tanga Region, Tanzania.
Elverud, IS, Størdal, K, Chiduo, M, Klingenberg, C
Journal of tropical pediatrics. 2020;(2):210-217
Abstract
BACKGROUND The first 1000 days of life, from conception to the second birthday, offer a unique window of opportunity for optimal growth, critical for future health. The primary aim of this study was to analyze growth of children between 12 and 24 months age in Tanzanian children, and to explore possible predictors for growth. METHODS Observational, cross-sectional study performed between March and April 2017. Eligible children, and their mothers, attended routine follow-up at two health clinics in Tanga, Tanzania. At the study day, the child's weight and height were recorded. The mothers answered a structured interview regarding breastfeeding, immunization and socioeconomic conditions. RESULTS We recruited 300 mother-child pairs. Median [interquartile range (IQR)] age at study visit was 16 (14-20) months. Mothers reported that 170 (57%) of their children were exclusively breastfed for a minimum of 6 months; median (IQR) 6 (4-6) months. Using the World Health Organization (WHO) standard growth curves, mean weight-for-age Z-score was -0.30 and mean length-for-age Z-score was -0.47. Children whose mothers had higher education had higher Z-scores for weight and length compared to children of mothers with lower education. Education remained the most important predictor for growth also after adjusting for other variables. Overall, 48/300 (16%) were moderate-severe stunted and 25/300 (8.4%) had moderate-severe underweight. CONCLUSION Children aged 12-24 months in this region of Tanzania had weight and height below the WHO standard. Higher educated mothers had children with better growth parameters. Duration of exclusive breastfeeding was long, but did not predict growth parameters.
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Adaptive NKG2C+ natural killer cells are related to exacerbations and nutritional abnormalities in COPD patients.
Pascual-Guardia, S, Ataya, M, Ramírez-Martínez, I, Yélamos, J, Chalela, R, Bellido, S, López-Botet, M, Gea, J
Respiratory research. 2020;(1):63
Abstract
UNLABELLED Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic and often progressive disorder with a heterogeneous presentation and frequent systemic manifestations. Several aspects like persistence in smoking habit, continuous exacerbations, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency and inflammatory-immune response, are involved in the pathophysiology and progression of the disease. However, the role of natural killer (NK) cells remains controversial. Otherwise, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been reported to induce an adaptive differentiation and expansion of an NK cell subset which carries the CD94/NKG2C receptor, which may contribute to an upset immune defense. For these reasons, our objective is to assess the distribution of NK cells and their subset in COPD patients and some of its phenotypes. METHODS Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 66 COPD patients. HCMV serology and the proportions of total NK cells and the NKG2C+ and NKG2A+ subsets were evaluated by flow cytometry. The NKG2C genotype was also assessed. RESULTS Eighty-eight per cent of COPD patients were HCMV(+), and the proportions of total NK cells were higher in patients with severe-very severe airway obstruction than in those with only mild-moderate involvement. There were no differences in the proportions of NKG2C+ cells between controls and COPD, either among COPD patients classified by severity of the disease. However, the percentage of NKG2C+ cells were higher in COPD patients with frequent exacerbations than in occasional exacerbators, and higher in cases with reduced lean mass (Fat free mass index) than in those with normal nutritional status. CONCLUSION These results suggest a relationship between levels of NKG2C+ cells in COPD patients and clinical variables closely linked to a poor/worse prognosis.
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3.
Clinical nutrition for the gastroenterologist: the physiologic rationale for providing early nutritional therapy to the hospitalized patient.
McClave, SA, Omer, E
Current opinion in gastroenterology. 2020;(2):118-121
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Conflicting reports in the literature have been misinterpreted by clinicians, who conclude that nutritional therapy for the hospitalized patient is of marginal value. The true benefit of such therapy is derived from the provision of early enteral nutrition. This article describes the physiologic response to enteral feeding, which accounts for the outcome benefits, and illustrates how use of the gut alters immune responses and the intestinal microbiota. RECENT FINDINGS The provision of early enteral nutrition has been shown to reduce infection and mortality in high-risk hospitalized patients (compared with not providing such therapy). Early feeding maintains gut integrity, reduces permeability, promotes tolerance and appropriate immune responses, and supports commensalism of the intestinal microbiota. Early enteral nutrition influences cross-talk signaling between luminal bacteria and the intestinal epithelium. Failure to utilize the gut in acute illness can amplify the systemic inflammatory response syndrome and worsen disease severity, while at the same time promoting antibiotic resistance and increased septic morbidity. SUMMARY Appropriate nutritional therapy does change outcomes in the hospitalized patient, especially for those who are at risk on the basis of disease severity and/or poor nutritional status. Greatest benefit is seen from those therapeutic regimens that specifically target gut defenses and the intestinal microbiome.
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4.
Evaluation of the effects of pycnogenol (French maritime pine bark extract) supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers and nutritional and clinical status in traumatic brain injury patients in an intensive care unit: A randomized clinical trial protocol.
Malekahmadi, M, Moradi Moghaddam, O, Islam, SMS, Tanha, K, Nematy, M, Pahlavani, N, Firouzi, S, Zali, MR, Norouzy, A
Trials. 2020;(1):162
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major health and socioeconomic problems in the world. Immune-enhancing enteral formula has been proven to significantly reduce infection rate in TBI patients. One of the ingredients that can be used in immunonutrition formulas to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress is pycnogenol. OBJECTIVE The objective of this work is to survey the effect of pycnogenol on the clinical, nutritional, and inflammatory status of TBI patients. METHODS This is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Block randomization will be used. An intervention group will receive pycnogenol supplementation of 150 mg for 10 days and a control group will receive a placebo for the same duration. Inflammatory status (IL-6, IL- 1β, C-reactive protein) and oxidative stress status (malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity), at the baseline, at the 5th day, and at the end of the study (10th day) will be measured. Clinical and nutritional status will be assessed three times during the intervention. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) questionnaire for assessment of organ failure will be filled out every other day. The mortality rate will be calculated within 28 days of the start of the intervention. Weight, body mass index, and body composition will be measured. All analyses will be conducted by an initially assigned study arm in an intention-to-treat analysis. DISCUSSION We expect that supplementation of 150 mg pycnogenol for 10 days will improve clinical and nutritional status and reduce the inflammation and oxidative stress of the TBI patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ref: NCT03777683) at 12/13/2018.
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5.
Tuberculosis control in India: Refocus on nutrition.
Shaji, B, Arun Thomas, ET, Sasidharan, PK
The Indian journal of tuberculosis. 2019;(1):26-29
Abstract
Many western societies have eliminated tuberculosis years before the advent of potent anti-tuberculous drugs, as a result of the improved standards of living and good nutrition. But even with the availability of powerful anti-tuberculous drugs, India still has a long road ahead to reach the "End TB by 2025" goal. One of the major reason is that tuberculosis control program in India till now have focused primarily on case detection and medical treatment of active tuberculosis. Drug treatment alone does not completely prevent the occurrence of new infections in the community and also contributes to development of drug resistant strains if used improperly or incompletely. Although the treatment of active cases can reduce the period of transmission of disease, a significant amount of transmission to contacts occurs even before they have been diagnosed and treated. Additionally, this approach cannot prevent re-activation to active TB in the vast pool of persons with latent TB infection. Tuberculosis occurs in those with suppressed cell mediated immunity mainly due to poor nutritional status. Improving the nutritional status of the society by several social interventions hand-in-hand with utilizing the available anti-tuberculous drugs is possibly the only effective strategy. Promising programmatic guidance for nutritional support in TB patients have been formulated by the Central TB division of India but it needs a refocusing of TB control strategies towards nutrition at all levels and strong public health actions for effective implementation.
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6.
Insufficient Nutrition and Mortality Risk in Septic Patients Admitted to ICU with a Focus on Immune Dysfunction.
Hung, KY, Chen, YM, Wang, CC, Wang, YH, Lin, CY, Chang, YT, Huang, KT, Lin, MC, Fang, WF
Nutrients. 2019;(2)
Abstract
Immune dysfunction is seen both in sepsis patients and in those with malnutrition. This study aimed to determine whether insufficient nutrition and immune dysfunction have a synergistic effect on mortality in critically ill septic patients. We conducted a prospective observational study from adult sepsis patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) between August 2013 and June 2016. Baseline characteristics including age, gender, body mass index, NUTRIC, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores were recorded. Immune dysfunction, defined by human leukocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR) expression, was tested at days 1, 3, and 7 of ICU admission. The study included 151 patients with sepsis who were admitted to the ICU. The 28-day survivors had higher day 7 caloric intakes (89% vs 73%, p = 0.042) and higher day 1-HLA-DR expression (88.4 vs. 79.1, p = 0.045). The cut-off points of day 7 caloric intake and day 1-HLA-DR determined by operating characteristic curves were 65.1% and 87.2%, respectively. Immune dysfunction was defined as patients with day 1-HLA-DR < 87.2%. Insufficient nutrition had no influence on survival outcomes in patients with immune dysfunction. However, patients with insufficient nutrition had poor prognosis when they were immune competent. Insufficient nutrition and immune dysfunction did not have a synergistic effect on mortality in critically ill septic patients.
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7.
An observational study of perioperative nutrition and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing laparotomy at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi.
Katundu, KG, Mutafya, TW, Lozani, NC, Nyirongo, PM, Uebele, ME
Malawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi. 2018;(2):79-85
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nutritional status in patients undergoing surgery can influence their immune function, tissue repair and, hence, clinical outcomes. This study aimed to assess the perioperative nutrition and postoperative outcome of patients undergoing laparotomy at a tertiary hospital in Malawi. METHODS A total of 25 patients were included in this prospective, observational study. The Subjective Global Assessment was used to classify each patient according to nutritional status. Handgrip strength was measured for each patient preoperatively and at day 3 postoperatively. Anthropometric measurements were also done. Protein and energy requirements for each participant were estimated and compared to the quantities provided by the hospital diet. Patients were followed up until discharge and outcome variables which included length of hospital stay and wound dehiscence or infectious complications were recorded. RESULTS Of the study participants, 20% were well-nourished, 52% were moderately malnourished and 28% were severely malnourished. The median handgrip strength decreased at day 3 postoperatively from the preoperative handgrip strength. Well-nourished patients had higher handgrip strength than malnourished patients both preoperatively and postoperatively. Total energy and protein provided by the hospital diet were significantly lower than the estimated requirements for the patients. Severely malnourished patients had increased median length of hospital stay and increased rate of postoperative complications. Preoperative and postoperative day 3 handgrip strength correlated negatively with the number of postoperative complications and length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION This study showed high rates of malnutrition and inadequate in-hospital nutritional support which were associated with poor clinical outcomes, especially in severely malnourished patients. Proper nutritional assessment and provision of adequate nutritional support should be reinforced in surgical patients to promote favourable clinical outcomes postoperatively. Further studies with larger sample sizes in other patient populations and hospitals in Malawi are required in this area.
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8.
Health relevance of the modification of low grade inflammation in ageing (inflammageing) and the role of nutrition.
Calder, PC, Bosco, N, Bourdet-Sicard, R, Capuron, L, Delzenne, N, Doré, J, Franceschi, C, Lehtinen, MJ, Recker, T, Salvioli, S, et al
Ageing research reviews. 2017;:95-119
Abstract
Ageing of the global population has become a public health concern with an important socio-economic dimension. Ageing is characterized by an increase in the concentration of inflammatory markers in the bloodstream, a phenomenon that has been termed "inflammageing". The inflammatory response is beneficial as an acute, transient reaction to harmful conditions, facilitating the defense, repair, turnover and adaptation of many tissues. However, chronic and low grade inflammation is likely to be detrimental for many tissues and for normal functions. We provide an overview of low grade inflammation (LGI) and determine the potential drivers and the effects of the "inflamed" phenotype observed in the elderly. We discuss the role of gut microbiota and immune system crosstalk and the gut-brain axis. Then, we focus on major health complications associated with LGI in the elderly, including mental health and wellbeing, metabolic abnormalities and infections. Finally, we discuss the possibility of manipulating LGI in the elderly by nutritional interventions. We provide an overview of the evidence that exists in the elderly for omega-3 fatty acid, probiotic, prebiotic, antioxidant and polyphenol interventions as a means to influence LGI. We conclude that slowing, controlling or reversing LGI is likely to be an important way to prevent, or reduce the severity of, age-related functional decline and the onset of conditions affecting health and well-being; that there is evidence to support specific dietary interventions as a strategy to control LGI; and that a continued research focus on this field is warranted.