Early life origins of low-grade inflammation and atherosclerosis risk in children and adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between birth weight and later low-grade inflammation in children and adolescents.


METHODS
We selected 166 children (49.4% boys; aged, 9.5 +/- 0.3 years) and 126 adolescents (43.7% males; aged, 15.5 +/- 0.4 years) from the Swedish part of the European Youth Heart Study. Birth weight data were collected from parental recall. Low-grade inflammatory markers include C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and complement factors C3 and C4. Fatness was measured by the sum of 5 skinfold thicknesses. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured with a maximal ergometer bike test. The association between birth weight and low-grade inflammatory markers was examined with multiple regression analyses.


RESULTS
Birth weight was negatively associated with fibrinogen (beta = -0.059; P = .036), C3 (beta = -0.019; P = .010), and C4 (beta = -0.024; P = .031), after controlling for sex, pubertal status, mother's body mass index and socioeconomic status, fatness and fitness. Birth weight was not associated to later C-reactive protein level (all P > .1).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that smaller birth weight is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation in children and adolescents. Because of the implication of complement factors on atherosclerosis process, these results contribute to explain the increased cardiovascular risk associated with low birth weight.
Labayen
Idoia
I
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain. idoia.labayen@ehu.es
Ortega
Francisco B
FB
Sjöström
Michael
M
Ruiz
Jonatan R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D002097:C-Reactive Protein