TY - JOUR
T1 - Akkermansia muciniphila Associated with Improved Linear Growth among Young Children, Democratic Republic of the Congo
AU - George, Christine Marie
AU - Birindwa, Alves
AU - Li, Shan
AU - Williams, Camille
AU - Kuhl, Jennifer
AU - Thomas, Elizabeth
AU - Francois, Ruthly
AU - Presence, Amani Sanvura
AU - Claude, Bisimwa Rusanga Jean
AU - Mirindi, Patrick
AU - Bisimwa, Lucien
AU - Perin, Jamie
AU - Stine, O. Colin
N1 - Funding Information:
This material is based in part upon work supported by the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance under a Development Food Security Activity, led by Food for the Hungry in the Sud Kivu and Tanganyika provinces of DRC (cooperative Agreement AID-FFP-A-16-00010).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All rights reserved.
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - To investigate the association between enteric pathogens, fecal microbes, and child growth, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 236 children <5 years of age in rural eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. We analyzed baseline fecal specimens by quantitative PCR and measured child height and weight at baseline and growth at a 6-month follow-up. At baseline, 66% (156/236) of children had >3 pathogens in their feces. We observed larger increases in height-for-age-z-scores from baseline to the 6-month follow-up among children with Akkermansia muciniphila in their feces (coefficient 0.02 [95% CI 0.0001–0.04]; p = 0.04). Children with Cryptosporidium in their feces had larger declines in weight-for-height/length z-scores from baseline to the 6-month follow-up (coefficient –0.03 [95% CI –0.05 to –0.005]; p = 0.02). Our study showed high prevalence of enteric pathogens among this pediatric cohort and suggests A. muciniphila can potentially serve as a probiotic to improve child growth.
AB - To investigate the association between enteric pathogens, fecal microbes, and child growth, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 236 children <5 years of age in rural eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. We analyzed baseline fecal specimens by quantitative PCR and measured child height and weight at baseline and growth at a 6-month follow-up. At baseline, 66% (156/236) of children had >3 pathogens in their feces. We observed larger increases in height-for-age-z-scores from baseline to the 6-month follow-up among children with Akkermansia muciniphila in their feces (coefficient 0.02 [95% CI 0.0001–0.04]; p = 0.04). Children with Cryptosporidium in their feces had larger declines in weight-for-height/length z-scores from baseline to the 6-month follow-up (coefficient –0.03 [95% CI –0.05 to –0.005]; p = 0.02). Our study showed high prevalence of enteric pathogens among this pediatric cohort and suggests A. muciniphila can potentially serve as a probiotic to improve child growth.
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U2 - 10.3201/eid2901.212118
DO - 10.3201/eid2901.212118
M3 - Article
C2 - 36573546
AN - SCOPUS:85144638461
SN - 1080-6040
VL - 29
SP - 81
EP - 88
JO - Emerging infectious diseases
JF - Emerging infectious diseases
IS - 1
ER -