Article: Life-course origins of social inequalities in adult immune cell markers of inflammation in a developing southern Chinese population: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study

File Download Links for fulltext
(May Require Subscription)
Supplementary
  • Basic View
  • Metadata View
  • XML View
TitleLife-course origins of social inequalities in adult immune cell markers of inflammation in a developing southern Chinese population: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study
AuthorsWest, DA1
Leung, GM1
Jiang, CQ3
Elwell-Sutton, TM1
Zhang, WS3
Lam, TH1
Cheng, KK2
Schooling, CM1
Issue Date2012
PublisherBioMed Central Ltd. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/
CitationBMC Public Health, 2012, v. 12, article no. 269 [How to Cite?]
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-269
AbstractBACKGROUND: Socioeconomic position (SEP) throughout life is associated with cardiovascular disease, though the mechanisms linking these two are unclear. It is also unclear whether there are critical periods in the life course when exposure to better socioeconomic conditions confers advantages or whether SEP exposures accumulate across the whole life course. Inflammation may be a mechanism linking socioeconomic position (SEP) with cardiovascular disease. In a large sample of older residents of Guangzhou, in southern China, we examined the association of life course SEP with inflammation. METHODS: In baseline data on 9,981 adults (>/= 50 years old) from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study (2006-08), we used multivariable linear regression and model fit to assess the associations of life course SEP at four stages (childhood, early adult, late adult and current) with white blood, granulocyte and lymphocyte cell counts. RESULTS: A model including SEP at all four life stages best explained the association of life course SEP with white blood and granulocyte cell count for men and women, with early adult SEP (education) making the largest contribution. A critical period model best explained the association of life course SEP with lymphocyte count, with sex-specific associations. Early adult SEP was negatively associated with lymphocytes for women. CONCLUSIONS: Low SEP throughout life may negatively impact late adult immune-inflammatory status. However, some aspects of immune-inflammatory status may be sensitive to earlier exposures, with sex-specific associations. The findings were compatible with the hypothesis that in a developing population, upregulation of the gonadotropic axis with economic development may obscure the normally protective effects of social advantage for men.
ISSN1471-2458
2011 Impact Factor: 1.997
2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.138
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-269
ISI Accession Number IDWOS:000305156900001
Funding AgencyGrant Number
University of Hong Kong Foundation for Development and Research, Hong Kong
University of Hong Kong University Research Committee Strategic Research Theme Public Health, Hong Kong
Guangzhou Public Health Bureau
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Leverhulme Trust, UK
Guangzhou Science and Technology Committee, Guangzhou, China
Funding Information:

The Guangzhou Cohort Study investigators include: Guangzhou No. 12 Hospital: WS Zhang, M Cao, T Zhu, B Liu, CQ Jiang (Co-PI); The University of Hong Kong: CM Schooling, SM McGhee, GM Leung, R Fielding, TH Lam (Co-PI); The University of Birmingham: P Adab, GN Thomas, KK Cheng (Co-PI). This work was supported by the University of Hong Kong Foundation for Development and Research, Hong Kong; The University of Hong Kong University Research Committee Strategic Research Theme Public Health, Hong Kong; Guangzhou Public Health Bureau, and Guangzhou Science and Technology Committee, Guangzhou, China; and The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. TM Elwell-Sutton was supported by a studentship from the Leverhulme Trust, UK.

PubMed Central IDPMC3373375
DC Field
Value
dc.contributor.authorWest, DA
dc.contributor.authorLeung, GM
dc.contributor.authorJiang, CQ
dc.contributor.authorElwell-Sutton, TM
dc.contributor.authorZhang, WS
dc.contributor.authorLam, TH
dc.contributor.authorCheng, KK
dc.contributor.authorSchooling, CM
dc.date.accessioned2012-06-22T06:27:47Z
dc.date.available2012-06-22T06:27:47Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND: Socioeconomic position (SEP) throughout life is associated with cardiovascular disease, though the mechanisms linking these two are unclear. It is also unclear whether there are critical periods in the life course when exposure to better socioeconomic conditions confers advantages or whether SEP exposures accumulate across the whole life course. Inflammation may be a mechanism linking socioeconomic position (SEP) with cardiovascular disease. In a large sample of older residents of Guangzhou, in southern China, we examined the association of life course SEP with inflammation. METHODS: In baseline data on 9,981 adults (>/= 50 years old) from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study (2006-08), we used multivariable linear regression and model fit to assess the associations of life course SEP at four stages (childhood, early adult, late adult and current) with white blood, granulocyte and lymphocyte cell counts. RESULTS: A model including SEP at all four life stages best explained the association of life course SEP with white blood and granulocyte cell count for men and women, with early adult SEP (education) making the largest contribution. A critical period model best explained the association of life course SEP with lymphocyte count, with sex-specific associations. Early adult SEP was negatively associated with lymphocytes for women. CONCLUSIONS: Low SEP throughout life may negatively impact late adult immune-inflammatory status. However, some aspects of immune-inflammatory status may be sensitive to earlier exposures, with sex-specific associations. The findings were compatible with the hypothesis that in a developing population, upregulation of the gonadotropic axis with economic development may obscure the normally protective effects of social advantage for men.
dc.description.naturepublished_or_final_version
dc.identifier.citationBMC Public Health, 2012, v. 12, article no. 269 [How to Cite?]
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-269
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-269
dc.identifier.hkuros200324
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000305156900001
Funding AgencyGrant Number
University of Hong Kong Foundation for Development and Research, Hong Kong
University of Hong Kong University Research Committee Strategic Research Theme Public Health, Hong Kong
Guangzhou Public Health Bureau
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Leverhulme Trust, UK
Guangzhou Science and Technology Committee, Guangzhou, China
Funding Information:

The Guangzhou Cohort Study investigators include: Guangzhou No. 12 Hospital: WS Zhang, M Cao, T Zhu, B Liu, CQ Jiang (Co-PI); The University of Hong Kong: CM Schooling, SM McGhee, GM Leung, R Fielding, TH Lam (Co-PI); The University of Birmingham: P Adab, GN Thomas, KK Cheng (Co-PI). This work was supported by the University of Hong Kong Foundation for Development and Research, Hong Kong; The University of Hong Kong University Research Committee Strategic Research Theme Public Health, Hong Kong; Guangzhou Public Health Bureau, and Guangzhou Science and Technology Committee, Guangzhou, China; and The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. TM Elwell-Sutton was supported by a studentship from the Leverhulme Trust, UK.

dc.identifier.issn1471-2458
2011 Impact Factor: 1.997
2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.138
dc.identifier.pmcidPMC3373375
dc.identifier.pmid22472036
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-84859207843
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/149178
dc.identifier.volume12, article no. 269
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherBioMed Central Ltd. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/
dc.publisher.placeUnited Kingdom
dc.relation.ispartofBMC Public Health
dc.rightsBMC Public Health. Copyright © BioMed Central Ltd.
dc.rightsCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License
dc.titleLife-course origins of social inequalities in adult immune cell markers of inflammation in a developing southern Chinese population: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study
dc.typeArticle
Author Affiliations
  1. The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
  2. University of Birmingham
  3. null