Inflammation, iron status, and growth of school‐age children: a prospective study

Abstract

ObjectiveTo investigate associations of four markers of inflammation, C‐reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, white blood cell count (WBCC), and neutrophil count (NC), with changes in adiposity and linear growth in a longitudinal study of school‐age children from Bogotá, Colombia.MethodsWe quantified CRP, ferritin, WBCC, and NC from samples collected among 2708 children aged 5–12 y at baseline. Anthropometric characteristics were measured periodically for a median of 30 months. We estimated mean change in age‐ and sex‐standardized BMI‐ and height‐for‐age Z‐scores and waist circumference according to quartiles of each inflammatory marker at baseline using multivariable mixed effects linear regression models.ResultsThere were no associations between any of the subclinical inflammation biomarkers and change in indicators of adiposity over follow‐up. However, ferritin serostatus was inversely related to linear growth after adjustment for CRP, an independent indicator of inflammation, and potential confounders. Compared to children in the lowest quartile of ferritin, those in the highest quartile had an annual change in height‐for‐age that was 0.03 Z lower (P trend=0.001).ConclusionCRP, ferritin, WBCC, and NC do not predict weight gain in school‐age children. However, high iron status, indicated by CRP‐adjusted ferritin concentrations, may be related to slower linear growth.Grant Funding Source : University of Michigan Center for Global Health