Abstract
Antibodies against pathogens provide information on exposure to infectious agents and are meaningful measures of past and present infection. Antibodies were measured in the plasma of children that are the offspring in a population-based birth cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Plasma was collected during clinics at age 5, 7, 11 and 15 years. The antigens examined include: fungal (Saccharomyces cerevisiae); protozoan (Toxoplasma gondii and surface antigen 1 of T. gondii); herpes viruses (cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus type 1); common colds (influenza virus subtypes H1N1 and H3N2); other antigens (measles); animal (feline herpes virus, Theiler’s virus); bacteria (Helicobacter pylori); dietary antigens (bovine casein alpha protein, bovine casein beta protein). Alongside the depth of data available within the ALSPAC cohort, this longitudinal resource will enable the investigation of the association between infections and a wide variety of outcomes.
Highlights
Exposure to pathogens can have a profound impact on the health of an individual both directly and through connections with other diseases[1]
Investigating early life exposure to specific infectious agents is critical to our understanding of the infectious aetiologies of diseases of interest and the impact that infection may have on development
The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is a longitudinal birth cohort that recruited pregnant women living near Bristol, UK with an estimated delivery date between 1991 and 19927,8
Summary
Exposure to pathogens can have a profound impact on the health of an individual both directly and through connections with other diseases[1]. Studies have linked infectious agents to autoimmune diseases (such as with multiple sclerosis[2] and type 1 diabetes in children3), cancers[4], drug hypersensitivity[5] and psychiatric disorders[6]. Investigating early life exposure to specific infectious agents is critical to our understanding of the infectious aetiologies of diseases of interest and the impact that infection may have on development. Antibody levels against a wide variety of infections (some not previously measured in humans) have been measured in the plasma of ALSPAC children using ELISA, giving an indication of whether an individual has been exposed to a specific infection or bacteria. The infectious agents studied were chosen based on previous evidence of association with psychiatric outcomes, they are of interest in other research domains
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