11 results on '"Foekje Stelma"'
Search Results
2. TLR-related pathway analysis: novel gene-gene interactions in the development of asthma and atopy
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C.P. van Schayck, Bert Brunekreef, Dirkje S. Postma, Henriette A. Smit, Carel Thijs, Gerard H. Koppelman, Naomi E. Reijmerink, R. W. B. Bottema, Jorrit Gerritsen, Marjan Kerkhof, Foekje Stelma, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), Medische Microbiologie, Epidemiologie, Family Medicine, and RS: NUTRIM - R2 - Gut-liver homeostasis
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Hypersensitivity, Immediate ,Male ,Allergy ,Genotype ,BACTERICIDAL/PERMEABILITY-INCREASING PROTEIN ,Immunology ,atopy ,IL1RL1 ,Single-nucleotide polymorphism ,Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ,Atopy ,Geneeskunde ,Gene interaction ,CELL-SURFACE ,cohort study ,Immunology and Allergy ,Medicine ,Humans ,genetics ,Child ,SOLUBLE ST2 ,Asthma ,gene-gene interaction ,Genetics ,TOLL-LIKE RECEPTORS ,Multifactor dimensionality reduction ,business.industry ,Haplotype ,Infant ,ASSOCIATION ,Immunoglobulin E ,asthma ,medicine.disease ,CROHNS-DISEASE ,Pathogenesis and modulation of inflammation [N4i 1] ,gene–gene interaction ,Child, Preschool ,SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS ,T-CELLS ,INTERLEUKIN-1 RECEPTOR ,Female ,TH2 CELLS ,business ,Infection and autoimmunity [NCMLS 1] ,Signal Transduction - Abstract
P>Background:The toll-like receptor (TLR)-related pathway is important in host defence and may be crucial in the development of asthma and atopy. Numerous studies have shown associations of TLR-related pathway genes with asthma and atopy phenotypes. So far it has not been investigated whether gene-gene interactions in this pathway contribute to atopy and asthma development.Methods:One hundred and sixty-nine haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 29 genes (i.e. membrane and intracellular receptors, TLR4 or lipopolysaccharide-binding/facilitating proteins, adaptors, interleukin-1 receptor associated kinases, kinases, chaperone molecules, transcription factors and inhibitors) were analysed for single- and multilocus associations with atopy [total and specific immunglobulin E (IgE) at 1-2 and 6-8 years] and asthma (6-8 years). A total of 3062 Dutch children from the birth cohorts PIAMA, PREVASC and KOALA (Allergenic study) were investigated. Chi-squared test, logistic regression and the data mining approach multifactor dimensionality reduction method (MDR) were used in analysis.Results:Several genes in the TLR-related pathway were associated with atopy and/or asthma [e.g. IL1RL1, BPI, NOD1, NOD2 and MAP3K7IP1]. Multiple, single associations were found with the phenotypes under study. MDR analysis showed novel, significant gene-gene interactions in association with atopy and asthma phenotypes (e.g. IL1RL1 and TLR4 with sIgE to indoor allergens and IRAK1, NOD1 and MAP3K7IP1 with asthma). Interestingly, gene-gene interactions were identified with SNPs that did not have an effect on their own.Conclusion:Our unbiased approach provided suggestive evidence for interaction between several TLR-related pathway genes important in atopy and/or asthma development and pointed to novel genes.
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- 2010
3. Consumption of organic foods and risk of atopic disease during the first 2 years of life in the Netherlands
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Foekje Stelma, Lucy van de Vijver, Piet A. van den Brandt, Ischa Kummeling, Carel Thijs, Bianca E. P. Snijders, Ronald van Ree, John Penders, Pieter C. Dagnelie, Machteld Huber, Epidemiologie, RS: NUTRIM - R2 - Gut-liver homeostasis, RS: CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Other departments, AII - Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, APH - Amsterdam Public Health, and Experimental Immunology
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Hypersensitivity, Immediate ,Male ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Organic product ,Allergy ,Eczema ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Logistic regression ,Atopy ,Wheeze ,medicine ,Respiratory Hypersensitivity ,Humans ,Respiratory sounds ,Risk factor ,Netherlands ,Respiratory Sounds ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Confounding ,Infant, Newborn ,Feeding Behavior ,Immunoglobulin E ,medicine.disease ,Female ,Food, Organic ,Infant Food ,Dairy Products ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Epidemiologic Methods - Abstract
We prospectively investigated whether organic food consumption by infants was associated with developing atopic manifestations in the first 2 years of life. The KOALA Birth Cohort Study in the Netherlands (n 2764) measured organic food consumption, eczema and wheeze in infants until age 2 years using repeated questionnaires. Diet was defined as conventional ( 90 % organic). Venous blood samples taken from 815 infants at 2 years of age were analysed for total and specific IgE. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to control for potential confounding factors. Eczema was present in 32 % of infants, recurrent wheeze in 11 % and prolonged wheezing in 5 %. At 2 years of age, 27 % of children were sensitised against at least one allergen. Of all the children, 10 % had consumed a moderately organic diet and 6 % a strictly organic diet. Consumption of organic dairy products was associated with lower eczema risk (OR 0·64 (95 % CI 0·44, 0·93)), but there was no association of organic meat, fruit, vegetables or eggs, or the proportion of organic products within the total diet with the development of eczema, wheeze or atopic sensitisation. Further studies to substantiate these results are warranted.
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- 2008
4. Diphtheria, Pertussis, Poliomyelitis, Tetanus, and Haemophilus influenzae Type b Vaccinations and Risk of Eczema and Recurrent Wheeze in the First Year of Life: The KOALA Birth Cohort Study
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Piet A. van den Brandt, Carel Thijs, Foekje Stelma, Ischa Kummeling, Pieter C. Dagnelie, M. Huber, Epidemiologie, RS: NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, RS: NUTRIM - R2 - Gut-liver homeostasis, RS: GROW - School for Oncology and Reproduction, and RS: CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care
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Male ,Down syndrome ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Vaccination schedule ,Eczema ,Recurrence ,Risk Factors ,medicine ,Humans ,Prospective Studies ,Vaccines, Combined ,Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine ,Haemophilus Vaccines ,Respiratory Sounds ,business.industry ,Tetanus ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Diphtheria ,Infant, Newborn ,Gestational age ,Infant ,medicine.disease ,Poliomyelitis ,Vaccination ,Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Female ,Drug Eruptions ,business - Abstract
OBJECTIVES. Among potential etiologic factors for atopic manifestations, infant vaccinations have recently been discussed. We evaluated in a prospective design whether infants who were unvaccinated or vaccinated according to incomplete vaccination schedules in the first 6 months of age were at decreased risk for eczema and recurrent wheeze in the first year of life. METHODS. Information on vaccinations against diphtheria, pertussis, poliomyelitis, tetanus; Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine; and eczema and recurrent wheeze was collected by repeated questionnaires in 2764 families participating in the KOALA Birth Cohort Study in the Netherlands. A standard vaccination schedule referred to 3 diphtheria, pertussis, poliomyelitis, tetanus, and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccinations in the first 6 months with the first given in months 1 to 3; an incomplete vaccination schedule was defined as any other vaccination schedule. Exclusion criteria were prematurity (gestational age RESULTS. During the first year of life, the incidence of eczema was 23% (584 of 2537 infants) and of recurrent wheeze, the incidence was 8.5% (203 of 2402 infants). At age 6 months, 1969 (77%) of 2545 infants had been vaccinated according to a standard schedule, 393 (15%) vaccinated according to an incomplete schedule, and 182 (7%) never vaccinated. Compared with infants with standard vaccination schedules, infants with incomplete schedules did not differ significantly in eczema risk or recurrent wheeze. This was also true for infants who had never been vaccinated. CONCLUSION. This study shows that the risk of eczema or recurrent wheeze at 1 year of age does not differ between infants with different vaccination status at the age of 6 months.
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- 2007
5. Early life exposure to antibiotics and the subsequent development of eczema, wheeze, and allergic sensitization in the first 2 years of life: the KOALA Birth Cohort Study
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John Penders, Piet A. van den Brandt, Foekje Stelma, Machteld Huber, Pieter C. Dagnelie, Bianca E. P. Snijders, Ronald van Ree, Ischa Kummeling, Carel Thijs, Other departments, AII - Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, APH - Amsterdam Public Health, Experimental Immunology, Epidemiologie, RS: NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, RS: NUTRIM - R2 - Gut-liver homeostasis, RS: GROW - School for Oncology and Reproduction, and RS: CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care
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Hypersensitivity, Immediate ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.drug_class ,Antibiotics ,Breastfeeding ,Eczema ,Allergic sensitization ,Cohort Studies ,Risk Factors ,Wheeze ,medicine ,Humans ,Respiratory sounds ,Respiratory Sounds ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Infant ,Immunoglobulin E ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Breast Feeding ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Etiology ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Breast feeding ,Cohort study - Abstract
OBJECTIVES. Antibiotic exposure in early life may be associated with atopic disease development either by interfering with bacterial commensal flora or by modifying the course of bacterial infections. We evaluated early life exposure to antibiotics and the subsequent development of eczema, wheeze, and allergic sensitization in infancy. METHODS. Information on antibiotic use in the first 6 months and eczema and wheeze until age 2 was collected by repeated questionnaires in 2764 families participating in the KOALA (Child, Parent and Health: Lifestyle and Genetic Constitution [in Dutch]) Birth Cohort Study in the Netherlands. Antibiotic intake was evaluated both as maternal antibiotic use during breastfeeding and infant oral medication. Venous blood samples taken from 815 infants at 2 years of age were analyzed for total and specific immunoglobulin E against common food and inhalant allergens using a radioallergosorbent test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for confounding factors. RESULTS. During the first 2 years, eczema was present in 32% of all infants, recurrent wheeze in 11%, and prolonged wheezing in 5%. At 2 years old, 27% of children were sensitized against ≥1 allergen. At 6 months old, 11% had been exposed to antibiotics through breast milk and 20% directly through medication. The risk for recurrent wheeze, and prolonged wheeze was higher in infants directly exposed to antibiotics through medication, also after excluding from the analyses children who wheezed in the same period as an antibiotic had been used (avoiding reverse causation). Antibiotic use through breastfeeding was associated with recurrent wheeze, but prolonged wheeze was not. Eczema and sensitization were not associated with antibiotic exposure. CONCLUSIONS.We demonstrated that early antibiotic use preceded the manifestation of wheeze but not eczema or allergic sensitization during the first 2 years of life. Different biological mechanisms may underlie the etiology of wheeze compared with eczema or sensitization. Antibiotic exposure through breastfeeding enhanced the risk for recurrent wheeze, but this needs further confirmation.
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- 2007
6. Breast-feeding duration and infant atopic manifestations, by maternal allergic status, in the first 2 years of life (KOALA study)
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John Penders, Carel Thijs, Foekje Stelma, Piet A. van den Brandt, Bianca E. P. Snijders, Ischa Kummeling, Monique Mommers, Ronald van Ree, Pieter C. Dagnelie, Epidemiologie, RS: NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, RS: NUTRIM - R2 - Gut-liver homeostasis, RS: GROW - School for Oncology and Reproduction, RS: CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Other departments, AII - Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, APH - Amsterdam Public Health, and Experimental Immunology
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Risk ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Allergy ,Time Factors ,Eczema ,Mothers ,Lower risk ,Dermatitis, Atopic ,Atopy ,Pregnancy ,Recurrence ,Hypersensitivity ,medicine ,Humans ,Prospective Studies ,Prospective cohort study ,Netherlands ,Respiratory Sounds ,Asthma ,business.industry ,Infant, Newborn ,Infant ,Odds ratio ,Immunoglobulin E ,medicine.disease ,Breast Feeding ,Logistic Models ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Female ,business ,Breast feeding - Abstract
Objective To investigate the potential effect of modification by maternal allergic status on the relationship between breast-feeding duration and infant atopic manifestations in the first 2 years of life. Study design Data from 2705 infants of the KOALA Birth Cohort Study (The Netherlands) were analyzed. The data were collected by repeated questionnaires at 34 weeks of gestation and 3, 7, 12, and 24 months postpartum. Total and specific immunoglobulin E measurements were performed on venous blood samples collected during ionic visits at age 2 years. Relationships were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. Results Longer duration of breast-feeding was associated with a lower risk for eczema in infants of mothers without allergy or asthma (P-trend = .01) and slightly lower risk in those of mothers with allergy but noasthma(P-trend =.14). There was no such association for asthmatic mothers (P-trend =.87). Longer breast-feeding duration decreased the risk of recurrent wheeze independent of maternal allergy (P-trend =.02) or asthma status See editorial, p 331 and (P-trend =.06). related articles, p 352 Conclusions Our findings show that the relationship between breast-feeding and and p 359 infant eczema in the first 2 years of life is modified by maternal allergic status. The protective effect of breast-feeding on recurrent wheeze may be associated with protection against respiratory infections
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- 2007
7. Factors influencing the composition of the intestinal microbiota in early infancy
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Carel Thijs, John Penders, Cornelis Vink, Piet A. van den Brandt, Bianca E. P. Snijders, Ischa Kummeling, Foekje Stelma, Ellen E. Stobberingh, Epidemiologie, Medische Microbiologie, RS: NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, and RS: CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care
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Adult ,Male ,Antifungal Agents ,Fever ,Gestational Age ,Gut flora ,Bacteroides fragilis ,Cohort Studies ,Feces ,Species Specificity ,Pregnancy ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Escherichia coli ,medicine ,Humans ,Prospective Studies ,Home Childbirth ,Netherlands ,Bacteria ,biology ,Cesarean Section ,Clostridioides difficile ,business.industry ,Siblings ,Infant, Newborn ,Infant ,Gestational age ,food and beverages ,Clostridium difficile ,Delivery, Obstetric ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Hospitalization ,Intestines ,Lactobacillus ,Breast Feeding ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Immunology ,Female ,Infant Food ,Bifidobacterium ,Bacteroides ,business ,Breast feeding - Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of a broad range of external influences to the gut microbiotic composition in early infancy. METHODS: Fecal samples from 1032 infants at 1 month of age, who were recruited from the KOALA Birth Cohort Study in the Netherlands, were subjected to quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays for the enumeration of bifidobacteria, Escherichia coli, Clostridium difficile, Bacteroides fragilis group, lactobacilli, and total bacterial counts. Information on potential determinants of the gut microbiotic composition was collected with repeated questionnaires. The associations between these factors and the selected gut bacteria were analyzed with univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Infants born through cesarean section had lower numbers of bifidobacteria and Bacteroides, whereas they were more often colonized with C difficile, compared with vaginally born infants. Exclusively formula-fed infants were more often colonized with E coli, C difficile, Bacteroides, and lactobacilli, compared with breastfed infants. Hospitalization and prematurity were associated with higher prevalence and counts of C difficile. Antibiotic use by the infant was associated with decreased numbers of bifidobacteria and Bacteroides. Infants with older siblings had slightly higher numbers of bifidobacteria, compared with infants without siblings. CONCLUSIONS: The most important determinants of the gut microbiotic composition in infants were the mode of delivery, type of infant feeding, gestational age, infant hospitalization, and antibiotic use by the infant. Term infants who were born vaginally at home and were breastfed exclusively seemed to have the most "beneficial" gut microbiota (highest numbers of bifidobacteria and lowest numbers of C difficile and E coli). AD - Department of Epidemiology, Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, Netherlands. j.penders@epid.unimaas.nl
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- 2006
8. The impact of maternal stress on pregnancy outcome in a well-educated Caucasian population
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Luc J.M. Smits, Rob A. de Bie, Jim van Os, Foekje Stelma, Janneke M Bastiaanssen, Lydia Krabbendam, Psychiatrie en Neuropsychologie, Epidemiologie, RS: NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, and RS: CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care
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Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Epidemiology ,Outcome (game theory) ,Maternal stress ,Pregnancy ,Risk Factors ,Prevalence ,Medicine ,Humans ,Prospective Studies ,Caucasian population ,Prospective cohort study ,Netherlands ,business.industry ,Obstetrics ,Confounding ,Infant, Newborn ,Pregnancy Outcome ,medicine.disease ,Mental health ,Pregnancy Complications ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Psychosocial stress ,Infant, Small for Gestational Age ,Educational Status ,Female ,business ,Stress, Psychological - Abstract
Summary The aim of the study was to examine the association between stress and pregnancy outcome after adjustment for possible confounding and mediating variables. A prospective cohort study of 5511 pregnancies was conducted in 2001–03 in the Netherlands. A standardised questionnaire collecting demographics and mental health data was administered at 14 and 30 weeks of pregnancy. Medical data on the pregnancy and delivery were obtained from obstetricians and midwives. The results showed that a high level of perceived stress at 14 weeks of pregnancy increased the risk for delivery of an infant that was small-for-gestational-age (OR = 1.26 [95% CI 1.01, 1.56]), but the association was reduced after adjustment for the possible confounding effects of demographic variables (OR = 1.16 [95% CI 0.92, 1.47]). The results do not support a direct relationship between perceived stress and adverse pregnancy outcome. Demographic variables may explain the association between psychosocial stress and pregnancy outcome to a significant degree.
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- 2005
9. Oseltamivir-resistant pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 influenza viruses detected through enhanced surveillance in the Netherlands, 2009-2010
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Bert Niesters, Annelies Riezebos-Brilman, Aloys C.M. Kroes, Marcel Jonges, Marion Koopmans, Sander Leenders, Foekje Stelma, Matthias F. C. Beersma, Floor Abbink, Peter Bloembergen, Aura Timen, Mariken van der Lubben, Margreet J M Te Wierik, Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus, Corien Swaan, Janko van Beek, Leslie D. Isken, Martin Schutten, Jan Jelrik Oosterheert, Arjan de Jong, Rob M Riesmeijer, Fré Sebens, Erhard van der Vries, Adam Meijer, Annemarie van ’t Veen, Gé A. Donker, Wim Ang, Eric C. J. Claas, Charles A. Boucher, Rianne van Gageldonk-Lafeber, Ellen Mascini, Faculteit Medische Wetenschappen/UMCG, Pediatric surgery, Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, CCA - Immuno-pathogenesis, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry / Psychology, Virology, Public Health, Erasmus MC other, and Anesthesiology
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Male ,medicine.medical_treatment ,OUTBREAK ,viruses ,Resistance ,EMERGENCE ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ,Pandemic ,A(H1N1) ,Child ,Immunodeficiency ,Phylogeny ,Netherlands ,Enhanced surveillance ,biology ,Transmission (medicine) ,ANTIVIRAL DRUGS ,virus diseases ,Immunosuppression ,SUBSTITUTION ,Middle Aged ,Pathogenesis and modulation of inflammation [N4i 1] ,Child, Preschool ,Female ,A H1N1 VIRUS ,Adult ,Oseltamivir ,EUROPE ,Adolescent ,TRANSMISSION ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Neuraminidase ,Virus ,Cell Line ,Viral Proteins ,Young Adult ,Virology ,Drug Resistance, Viral ,Influenza, Human ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Antiviral ,Pandemics ,Aged ,Pharmacology ,Outbreak ,Infant ,Pathogenesis and modulation of inflammation Infection and autoimmunity [N4i 1] ,medicine.disease ,EVOLUTION ,Influenza ,respiratory tract diseases ,chemistry ,Immunology ,Mutation ,biology.protein ,VIRULENCE ,Sentinel Surveillance - Abstract
Enhanced surveillance of infections due to the pandemic A(H1N1) influenza virus, which included monitoring for antiviral resistance, was carried out in the Netherlands from late April 2009 through late May 2010. More than 1100 instances of infection with the pandemic A(H1N1) influenza virus from 2009 and 2010 [A(H1N1) 2009] distributed across this period were analyzed. Of these, 19 cases of oseltamivir-resistant virus harboring the H275Y mutation in the neuraminidase (NA) were detected. The mean 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) levels for oseltamivir- and zanamivir-susceptible A(H1N1) 2009 viruses were 1.4-fold and 2-fold, respectively, lower than for the seasonal A(H1N1) influenza viruses from 2007/2008: for oseltamivir-resistant A(H1N1)2009 virus the IC50 was 2.9-fold lower. Eighteen of the 19 patients with oseltamivir-resistant virus showed prolonged shedding of the virus and developed resistance while on oseltamivir therapy. Sixteen of these 18 patients had an immunodeficiency, of whom 11 had a hematologic disorder. The two other patients had another underlying disease. Six of the patients who had an underlying disease died; of these, five had received cytostatic or immunosuppressive therapy. No indications for onward transmission of resistant viruses were found. This study showed that the main association for the emergence of cases of oseltamivir-resistant A(H1N1) 2009 virus was receiving antiviral therapy and having drug-induced immunosuppression or an hematologic disorder. Except for a single case of a resistant virus not linked to oseltamivir therapy, the absence of detection of resistant variants in community specimens and in specimens from contacts of cases with resistant virus suggested that the spread of resistant A(H1N1) 2009 virus was limited. Containment may have been the cumulative result of impaired NA function, successful isolation of the patients, and prophylactic measures to limit exposure. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
- Published
- 2011
10. The contribution of water contact behavior to the high Schistosoma mansoni Infection rates observed in the Senegal River Basin
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Bruno Gryseels, Sake J. de Vlas, Kim Vereecken, Foekje Stelma, S. Sow, Katja Polman, Infectious Diseases, and Public Health
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Male ,Rural Population ,Veterinary medicine ,Bathing ,Adolescent ,Population ,Schistosomiasis ,law.invention ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,Disease Outbreaks ,Feces ,Rivers ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,law ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,education ,Child ,Parasite Egg Count ,Morning ,education.field_of_study ,biology ,Ecology ,Outbreak ,Pathogenesis and modulation of inflammation Infection and autoimmunity [N4i 1] ,Environmental Exposure ,Schistosoma mansoni ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,Schistosomiasis mansoni ,Senegal ,Rats ,Transmission (mechanics) ,Infectious Diseases ,Female ,SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation ,Contact tracing ,Research Article - Abstract
Background Schistosomiasis is one of the major parasitic diseases in the world in terms of people infected and those at risk. Infection occurs through contact with water contaminated with larval forms of the parasite, which are released by freshwater snails and then penetrate the skin of people. Schistosomiasis infection and human water contact are thus essentially linked, and more knowledge about their relationship will help us to develop appropriate control measures. So far, only few studies have related water contact patterns to infection levels. Methods We have conducted detailed direct water contact observations in a village in Northern Senegal during the first years of a massive Schistosoma mansoni outbreak to determine the role of human water contact in the extent of the epidemic. We quantified water contact activities in terms of frequency and duration, and described how these vary with age and sex. Moreover, we assessed the relationship between water contact- and infection intensity patterns to further elucidate the contribution of exposure to the transmission of schistosomiasis. Results This resulted in over 120,000 recorded water contacts for 1651 subjects over 175 observation days. Bathing was the main activity, followed by household activities. Frequency and duration of water contact depended on age and sex rather than season. Water contacts peaked in adolescents, women spent almost twice as much time in the water as men, and water contacts were more intense in the afternoon than in the morning, with sex-specific intensity peaks. The average number of water contacts per person per day in this population was 0.42; the average time spent in the water per person per day was 4.3 minutes. Conclusions The observed patterns of water contact behavior are not unusual and have been described before in various other settings in sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, water contact levels were not exceptionally high and thus cannot explain the extremely high S. mansoni infection intensities as observed in Northern Senegal. Comparison with fecal egg counts in the respective age and sex groups further revealed that water contact levels did not unambiguously correspond with infection levels, indicating that factors other than exposure also play a role in determining intensity of infection.
- Published
- 2011
11. Etiology of atopy in infancy: the KOALA Birth Cohort Study
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Rob A. de Bie, Piet A. van den Brandt, Carel Thijs, Marion Koopmans, Foekje Stelma, Johan Reimerink, M.C.J.F. Jansen, Bianca E. P. Snijders, John Penders, Pieter C. Dagnelie, Ischa Kummeling, Machteld Huber, Gezondheidsvoorlichting, Epidemiologie, RS: NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, RS: CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, and TNO Kwaliteit van Leven TNO Voeding
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Hypersensitivity, Immediate ,Questionnaires ,Alternative medicine ,Scoring system ,Pediatrics ,Infancy ,Allergy ,Etiology ,Intestinal microbiota ,Blood sampling ,Breastfeeding ,Cohort Studies ,Bacterial flora ,Pregnancy ,Risk Factors ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Immunology and Allergy ,Drug use ,Prospective cohort study ,Netherlands ,Priority journal ,Risk assessment ,Intestine flora ,Atopy ,Antibiotic agent ,Human milk ,Vaccination ,Feces analysis ,Atopic dermatitis ,Venous blood ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Intestines ,Gene-environment ,Breast Feeding ,Female ,Child rearing ,Cohort analysis ,Infection ,Human ,Oral biopsy ,Cohort study ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Breast milk ,Capillary blood ,Family history ,Immunology ,Food and Chemical Risk Analysis ,Anthroposophy ,Documentation ,Major clinical study ,Infections ,Fetus ,Vegetarian ,medicine ,Humans ,Disease severity ,Life Style ,Nutrition ,Questionnaire ,business.industry ,Dietary intake ,Infant, Newborn ,Infant ,Gestational age ,DNA ,Follow up ,Lifestyle ,medicine.disease ,Child care ,DNA isolation ,Diet ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Risk factor ,business ,Breast feeding - Abstract
PG - 679-84 AB - The aim of the KOALA Birth Cohort Study in the Netherlands is to identify factors that influence the clinical expression of atopic disease with a main focus on lifestyle (e.g., anthroposophy, vaccinations, antibiotics, dietary habits, breastfeeding and breast milk composition, intestinal microflora composition, infections during the first year of life, and gene-environment interaction). The recruitment of pregnant women started in October 2000. First, participants with 'conventional lifestyles' (n = 2343) were retrieved from an ongoing prospective cohort study (n = 7020) on pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain. In addition, pregnant women (n = 491) with 'alternative lifestyles' with regard to child rearing practices, dietary habits (organic, vegetarian), vaccination schemes and/or use of antibiotics, were recruited through organic food shops, anthroposophic doctors and midwives, Steiner schools, and dedicated magazines. All participants were enrolled between 14 and 18 wk of gestation and completed an intake questionnaire on family history of atopy and infant care intentions. Documentation of other relevant variables started in the pregnant mother and covered the first and third trimester as well as early childhood by repeated questionnaires at 14-18, 30, and 34 wk of gestation and 3, 7, 12, and 24 months post-partum. A subgroup of participants, including both conventional and alternative lifestyles, was asked to consent to maternal blood sampling, breast milk and a faecal sample of the infant at 1 month post-partum, capillary blood at age 1 yr, venous blood and observation of manifestation of atopic dermatitis during home visits at the age of 2 yr (using the UK working party criteria and the severity scoring of atopic dermatitis index), and buccal swabs for DNA isolation from child-parent trios. From the start, ethical approval and informed consent procedures included gene-environment interaction studies. Follow-up at 3 and 7 months post-partum was completed with high response rates (respectively 90% and 88% in the conventional group, and 97% and 97% in the alternative group). The home visits at 2 yr of age will be completed in 2005. Preliminary results show that we have succeeded in recruiting a large population with various lifestyle choices with a fairly large contrast with regard to dietary habits (including organic foods, vegetarian diet), vaccination schemes and/or use of antibiotics. We have also been able to collect a large number of faecal samples (n = 1176) and capillary blood samples at age 1 yr (n = 956). Furthermore, a large proportion of the participants have consented with genetic studies. Mid 2006 we expect to report our first results on the relationship between the various exposures in early life and childhood atopy. An outline of the focus and design of the KOALA Birth Cohort Study is presented. AD - Department of Epidemiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (Caphri), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. ischa.kummeling@epid.unimaas.nl
- Published
- 2005
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