title: The association of low birth weight with serum C reactive protein in 3-year-old children living in Cuba: A population-based prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low birthweight is associated with a decreased risk of childhood leukemia and an increased risk of both cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in adult life. Possible biological mediators include systemic innate immunity and inflammation. We tested the hypothesis that birthweight was inversely associated with serum high sensitivity C reactive protein assay (hsCRP), a measure of both innate immunity and systemic inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on birthweight and current anthropometric measures along with a range of exposures were collected at 1 and 3 years of age in a population-based cohort study of young children living in Havana, Cuba. A total of 986 children aged 3-years-old provided blood samples that were analyzed for serum hsCRP levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nearly 49% of children had detectable hsCRP levels in their serum. Lower birthweight was linearly associated with the natural log of hsCRP levels (beta coefficient -0.70 mg L-1per kg increase in birthweight, 95% CI: -1.34 to -0.06). This was attenuated but still present after adjustment for the child's sex and municipality (-0.65 mg L-1per kg birthweight; 95% CI: -1.38 to +0.08). There were no associations between growth from birth or anthropometric measures at 3 years and systemic inflammation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Birthweight was inversely associated with serum hsCRP levels in children aged 3 years living in Cuba. These observations provide a potential mechanism that is present at the age of 3 years to explain the association between low birthweight and both decreased childhood leukemia and increased cardiovascular disease in adults.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, Infanta No 1158 e/ Llinás y Clavel, Código Postal 10300, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Josefina Venero-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, Infanta No 1158 e/ Llinás y Clavel, Código Postal 10300, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Hermes
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fundora-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, Infanta No 1158 e/ Llinás y Clavel, Código Postal 10300, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Batista-Gutierrez
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, Infanta No 1158 e/ Llinás y Clavel, Código Postal 10300, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suárez-Medina
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, Infanta No 1158 e/ Llinás y Clavel, Código Postal 10300, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de la C Mora-Faife
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, Infanta No 1158 e/ Llinás y Clavel, Código Postal 10300, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García-García
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, Infanta No 1158 e/ Llinás y Clavel, Código Postal 10300, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Ileana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Del Valle-Infante
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, Infanta No 1158 e/ Llinás y Clavel, Código Postal 10300, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Liem
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gómez-Marrero
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Biomedical Research Unit, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Biomedical Research Unit, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Fogarty
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003462:Cuba; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Cuba; birthweight; children; inflammation