title: Associations among Inflammatory Biomarkers in the Circulating, Plasmatic, Salivary and Intraluminal Anatomical Compartments in Apparently Healthy Preschool Children from the Western Highlands of Guatemala.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Undernutrition and inflammation are related in many ways; for instance, non-hygienic environments are associated with both poor growth and immunostimulation in children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe any existing interaction among different inflammation biomarkers measured in the distinct anatomical compartments of whole blood, feces, plasma and saliva.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, samples of whole blood, feces, plasma and saliva were collected on the 8th and last week of observation among 87 attendees (42 girls and 45 boys) of 3 daycare centers offering a common 40-day rotating menu in Guatemala's Western Highlands. Analyses included white blood cell count (WBC), fecal calprotectin, and plasmatic and salivary cytokines including IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-α. Associations were assessed using Spearman rank-order and goodness-of-fit correlations, as indicated, followed by backwards-elimination multiple regression analyses to determine predictor variables for IL-10 in both anatomical compartments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 66 cross-tabulations in the Spearman hemi-matrix, 22 (33%) were significantly associated. All 10 paired associations among the salivary cytokines had a significant r value, whereas 7 of 10 possible associations among plasma cytokines were significant. Associations across anatomical compartments, however, were rarely significant. IL-10 in both biological fluids were higher than corresponding reference values. When a multiple regression model was run in order to determine independent predictors for IL-10 in each anatomical compartment separately, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α emerged as predictors in plasma (r2 = 0.514) and IL-1B, IL-8 and TNF-α remained as independent predictors in saliva (r2 = 0.762). Significant cross-interactions were seen with WBC, but not with fecal calprotectin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interactions ranged from robust within the same anatomical compartment to limited to nil across distinct anatomical compartments. The prominence of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, in both plasma and saliva is consistent with its counter-regulatory role facing a broad front of elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines in the same compartment.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Studies of Sensory Impairment, Aging, and Metabolism-CeSSIAM- Guatemala City, Guatemala.
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Soto-Méndez
authors.affiliation: Center for the Studies of Sensory Impairment, Aging, and Metabolism-CeSSIAM- Guatemala City, Guatemala.
authors.forename: María Eugenia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Romero-Abal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Center of Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Concepción María
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Center of Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: María Cruz
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rico
authors.affiliation: Center for the Studies of Sensory Impairment, Aging, and Metabolism-CeSSIAM- Guatemala City, Guatemala.
authors.forename: Noel W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Solomons
authors.affiliation: Molecular Nutrition Unit, ZIEL, Research Center for Nutrition and Food Science, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schümann
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, Center of Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gil
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D012634:Bodily Secretions / Q000378:metabolism*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006166:Guatemala; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D012463:Saliva
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators