Social economics of childhood glucocorticoid stress response and health

This study examines socioeconomic conditions, psychosocial stress, and health among 264 infants, children, adolescents, and young adults aged 2 months to 18 years residing in a rural Caribbean village in Dominica. Fieldwork was conducted over a 9 year period (1988-1996). Research methods and techniques include salivary cortisol radioimmunoassay (N = 22, 438), systematic behavioral observation, psychological questionnaires, health evaluation, medical records, informal interviews, and participant observation. Analyses of data indicate complex relations among socioeconomic conditions, stress, and health. Household income, land ownership, parental education, and other socioeconomic measures are weakly associated with child illness. There is no evidence that apparent material benefits of high socioeconomic status such as improved housing, diet, work loads, and access to private health care have important direct effects on child health in this population. However, social relationship, especially family environment, may have important effects on childhood psychosocial stress and illness. Abnormal glucocorticoid response profiles, diminished immunity, and frequent illness are associated with unstable mating relationships for parents/caretakers and household compositon. We suggest that family relationships and concomitant stress and immunosuppression are important intermediary links between socioeconomic conditions and child health.(AU)

The effect of DPT inoculation on the hormonal control of glucose homeostasis in children recovered from malnutrition

The effect of a controlled stress (DPT inoculation) on the hormonal control of glucose homeostasis was investigated in children nutritionally rehabilitated from severe malnutrition. The age range of the 15 children studied was 6-26 months. Plasma insulin (INS), growth hormone (GH) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) were measured by radioimmunoassay; plasma glucose (GLU) by a glucoseoxidase method; and red cell insulin binding ( percentSB) was determined, using A-14 monoiodinated insulin. Measurements were made on two occasions: (T-O) at 10 a.m.,12 hr before DPT inoculation, and (T-36) 36 hr. after inoculation. On both occasions, 4 hr post-prandial blood samples were used, and the mean body temperature(T) on the day of the test was determined. Red cell insulin binding ( percentSB) was significantly higher at T-36 than at T-O (16.8 ñ 1.7 vs 12.1 ñ 1.2 (14), p=0.005). (Results were expressed as mean ñ SEM, numbers of paired observations in parentheses). The higher percentSB after DPT was accompanied by an increase in the number of receptor sites (S) (29.05 ñ 6.5 vs 15.6 ñ 2.5 (14),p=0.025). However, insulin receptor affinity (K x 10(9)M(-1)) was decreased 0.7 ñ 0.1 vs 1.5 ñ 0.3(14), p=0.008). There were no significant differences in the plasma levels of insulin, glucose and interleukin-1, but plasma growth hormone (æU/ml) was increased after DPT, (18.0 ñ 3.0 vs 11.5 ñ 1.2 (13), p=0.04). Body temperature (§C) was also significantly increased after DPT,(99.9 ñ 0.4 vs 98.3 ñ 0.2(14), p=0.006). The change in plasma glucose from T-O to T-36 tended to be associated with both a change in plasma insulin (p=0.06) and plasma growth hormone (p=0.07). Increased insulin binding, as one index of increased insulin sensitivity during fever, can contribute to a reduction in blood glucose. However, the elevation in plasma growth hormone cold buffer the hypoglycaemic effect of insulin, and help to maintain glucose homeostasis (AU)