Journal article
Socioeconomic Gradients in Immune Response to Latent Infection
American journal of epidemiology, v 167(1), pp 112-120
01 Jan 2008
PMID: 17873099
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
There is a strong relation between socioeconomic position and health outcomes, although the mechanisms are poorly understood. The authors used data from 1,503 California participants in the 1998–1999 Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging aged 60–100 years to ask whether socioeconomic position is related to immune function as measured by the body's ability to keep latent herpesvirus antibody levels in a quiescent state. Individuals with lower educational levels had significantly higher levels of immunoglobulin G antibodies to cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus type 1. The odds ratio for being in a higher tertile of cytomegalovirus antibodies was 1.54 (95% confidence interval: 1.18, 2.01) for those in the lowest educational group, and the odds ratio for being in a higher tertile of herpes simplex virus type 1 was 1.63 (95% confidence interval: 1.25, 2.13). The relation between education and cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus type 1 antibody levels remained strong after controlling for baseline health conditions, smoking status, and body mass index. This is the first study known to show a relation between socioeconomic position and immune response to latent infection. It provides suggestive evidence that modulation of the immune system via latent infections may play a role in the observed associations between socioeconomic position and disease.
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Details
- Title
- Socioeconomic Gradients in Immune Response to Latent Infection
- Creators
- Jennifer Beam Dowd - University of MichiganMary N. Haan - University of MichiganLynn Blythe - University of MichiganKari Moore - University of MichiganAllison E. Aiello - University of Michigan
- Publication Details
- American journal of epidemiology, v 167(1), pp 112-120
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000251864100017
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-37549040489
- Other Identifier
- 991020786013204721
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- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health