Abstract
BackgroundInfection risks vary among individuals and between populations. Here we present information on the seroprevalence of 13 common infectious agents in a San Antonio-based sample of Mexican Americans. Mexican Americans represent the largest and most rapidly growing minority population in the U.S., and they are also considered a health disparities population.MethodsWe analyzed 1227 individuals for antibody titer to Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, Toxoplasma gondii, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus-1, herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), varicella zoster virus (VZV), adenovirus-36, hepatitis A virus, and influenza A and B. Seroprevalence was examined as a function of sex, age, household income, and education.ResultsSeroprevalence estimates ranged from 9% for T. gondii to 92% for VZV, and were similar in both sexes except for HSV-2, which was more prevalent in women. Many pathogens exhibited a significant seroprevalence change over the examined age range (15-94 years), with 7 pathogens increasing and HHV-6 decreasing with age. Socioeconomic status significantly correlated with serostatus for some pathogens.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate substantial seroprevalence rates of these common infections in this sample of Mexican Americans from San Antonio, Texas that suffers from high rates of chronic diseases including obesity and type-2 diabetes.
Highlights
Infection risks vary among individuals and between populations
The San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS) includes another 147 individuals living in Mexico, who were recruited to participate in the study because they are relatives of study participants from San Antonio
The pathogen with the highest seroprevalence estimate in the Mexican American study population was varicella zoster virus (VZV), at 92% (98% including the indeterminate samples among the seropositive ones)
Summary
Infection risks vary among individuals and between populations. Here we present information on the seroprevalence of 13 common infectious agents in a San Antonio-based sample of Mexican Americans. Seroprevalence for many agents is noted to increase with age, most likely due to increased opportunity for exposure over the course of an individual’s lifetime. In some instances, such as for herpes simplex virus type 2 in the general U.S population, seroprevalence is unequal between the sexes [1], but more often there is no sex bias. Other pathogens, including Helicobacter pylori, cytomegalovirus, EpsteinBarr virus, hepatitis A virus, and herpes simplex 1 virus have been identified as potentially contributing to cardiovascular disease, there are discrepancies between studies [14,15,16,17]. It has been speculated that pathogen burden (i.e., the number of different infections in an individual) may contribute to atherosclerosis or other chronic disease. Studies have shown an association between pathogen burden and C-reactive protein levels, clinical disease outcomes, and overall risk of cardiovascular disease [18,19,20,21]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call