Stunting Is Preceded by Intestinal Mucosal Damage and Microbiome Changes and Is Associated with Systemic Inflammation in a Cohort of Peruvian Infants

Mara Zambruni Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas;

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Theresa J. Ochoa Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas;
Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas;
Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;

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Anoma Somasunderam Division of Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas;
Division of Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas;

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Miguel M. Cabada Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia–University of Texas Medical Branch Collaborative Research Center Cusco, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Cusco, Peru;
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia–University of Texas Medical Branch Collaborative Research Center Cusco, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Cusco, Peru;
Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas;

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Maria L. Morales Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia–University of Texas Medical Branch Collaborative Research Center Cusco, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Cusco, Peru;

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Makedonka Mitreva The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri;
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri

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Bruce A. Rosa The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri;

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Gonzalo J. Acosta Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;

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Natalia I. Vigo Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;

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Maribel Riveros Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;

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Sara Arango Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;

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David Durand Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru;

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Maitreyee N. Berends Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas;

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Peter Melby Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas;

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Netanya S. Utay Division of Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas;

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Stunting, defined as height-for-age Z score equal to or lower than −2, is associated with increased childhood mortality, cognitive impairment, and chronic diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between linear growth, intestinal damage, and systemic inflammation in infants at risk of stunting. We followed up 78 infants aged 5–12 months living in rural areas of Peru for 6 months. Blood samples for biomarkers of intestinal damage (intestinal fatty-acid–binding protein [I-FABP] and zonulin) and systemic inflammation (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor α [TNF-α], soluble CD14, and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein [LBP]) and fecal samples for microbiome analysis were collected at baseline and closure of the study. The children’s growth and health status were monitored through biweekly home visits by trained staff. Twenty-one percent of the children became stunted: compared with non-stunted children, they had worse nutritional parameters and higher levels of serum I-FABP at baseline. The likelihood of becoming stunted was strongly associated with an increase in sCD14 over time; LBP and TNF-α showed a trend toward increase in stunted children but not in controls. The fecal microbiota composition of stunted children had an increased beta diversity compared with that of healthy controls throughout the study. The relative abundance of Ruminococcus 1 and 2, Clostridium sensu stricto, and Collinsella increased in children becoming stunted but not in controls, whereas Providencia abundance decreased. In conclusion, stunting in our population was preceded by an increase in markers of enterocyte turnover and differences in the fecal microbiota and was associated with increasing levels of systemic inflammation markers.

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Author Notes

Address correspondence to Netanya S. Utay, Division of Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, 6431 Fannin St., MSB 1.122, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: netanya.s.utay@uth.tmc.edu

Financial support: This study was supported by the Thrasher Research fund.

Authors’ addresses: Mara Zambruni, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, TX, E-mail: mara.zambruni@uth.tmc.edu. Theresa J. Ochoa, Gonzalo J. Acosta, Natalia I. Vigo, Maribel Riveros, Sara Arango, and David Durand, Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt,” Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, E-mails: theresa.j.ochoa@uth.tmc.edu, gjacostagarcia@houstonmethodist.org, natalia.vigo@outlook.com, maribel.riveros@upch.pe, sara.arango29@gmail.com, and david.durand@upch.pe. Anoma Somasunderam and Netanya S. Utay, Division of Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, TX, E-mails: anoma.somasunderam@uth.tmc.edu and netanya.s.utay@uth.tmc.edu. Miguel M. Cabada, Maitreyee N. Berends, and Peter Melby, Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, E-mails: micabada@utmb.edu, maitreyee.n.berends@ttuhsc.edu, and pcmelby@utmb.edu. Maria L. Morales, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia–University of Texas Medical Branch Collaborative Research Center Cusco, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Cusco, Peru, E-mail: maria.morales.f@upch.pe. Makedonka Mitreva, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, E-mail: mmitreva@wustl.edu. Bruce A. Rosa, The McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, E-mail: barosa@wustl.edu.

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