title: Childhood infections and adult height in monozygotic twin pairs.
abstract: Adult height is determined by genetics and childhood nutrition, but childhood infections may also play a role. Monozygotic twins are genetically matched and offer an advantage when identifying environmental determinants. In 2005-2007, we examined the association of childhood infections with adult height in 140 height-discordant monozygotic twin pairs from the California Twin Program. To obtain information on childhood infections and growth, we interviewed the mothers of monozygotic twins who differed in self-reported adult height by at least 1-inch (2.5 cm). Within-pair differences in the relative frequency of childhood infections were highly correlated, especially within age groups. A conditional logistic regression analysis demonstrated that more reported episodes of febrile illness occurred in the twin with shorter stature (odds ratio = 2.00, 95% confidence interval: 1.18, 3.40). The association was strongest for differences in the relative frequency of infection during the toddler years (ages 1-5: odds ratio = 3.34, 95% confidence interval: 1.47, 7.59) and was similar when restricted to twin pairs of equal birth length. The association was not explained by differential nutritional status. Measures of childhood infection were associated with height difference in monozygotic twin pairs, independent of genome, birth length, and available measures of diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, USC Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
authors.forename: Amie E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.forename: Ann S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: W James
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Gauderman
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: Myles G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cockburn
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zadnick
authors.forename: Kristin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rand
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cozen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001827:Body Height; D002140:California; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D013995:Time; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: body height; case-control studies; growth; infection; pediatrics; twins