1. Helicobacter pylori exposure among the Awajún of the Peruvian Amazon: Prevalence and environmental, social, and biological associations.
- Author
-
Tallman PS, Miller AA, Brandley SR, Lee CC, Cepon-Robins TJ, Gildner TE, and Collins SM
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Young Adult, Antibodies, Bacterial blood, Immunoglobulin G blood, Peru epidemiology, Prevalence, Helicobacter Infections epidemiology, Helicobacter Infections blood, Helicobacter Infections immunology, Helicobacter pylori immunology, Helicobacter pylori isolation & purification, Indians, South American statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Objectives: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-a gastric bacteria affecting almost 50% of the global population and leading to ulcers and cancer in severe cases-is a growing health concern among Indigenous populations who report a high burden of reported poor general health and gastrointestinal distress. We test hypothesized associations between H. pylori exposure patterns and environmental, social, and biological conditions among a sample of 212 Indigenous Awajún adults (112 males, 100 females, ages 18-65 years) living in the northern Peruvian Amazon., Materials and Methods: Dried blood spots were analyzed for H. pylori-specific IgG using a recently developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Resulting seropositivity rates and antibody concentrations, proxying past exposures to H. pylori were analyzed in relation to relevant environmental (toilet type, floor material, reported water quality), social (household size and education level), and biological (age, sex, BMI, blood pressure, immune and metabolic biomarkers) factors using multivariable regression analyses., Results: We found near ubiquitous seropositivity for H. pylori exposure in our sample (99.1% seropositive). In the regression analyses, elevations in H. pylori antibody concentrations were significantly higher among males compared to females (β = 0.36, p = 0.01). No associations were found with any other factors., Discussion: Anthropological research in the study communities suggests that the male bias in elevations of H. pylori antibody concentrations is related to cultural and biological factors. Future research is needed to further unravel these biocultural dynamics and determine whether elevations in H. pylori antibody concentrations have clinical relevance for gastrointestinal health outcomes in this population., (© 2024 The Authors. American Journal of Biological Anthropology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF