Thymus size is associated with breastfeeding and having pets in a sex-specific manner
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Thymus size is associated with breastfeeding and having pets in a sex-specific manner. / Laursen, Rikke Pilmann; Larnkjær, Anni; Ritz, Christian; Frøkiær, Hanne; Rytter, Maren Johanne Heilskov; Mølgaard, Christian; Michaelsen, Kim F.
I: Acta Paediatrica, Bind 109, Nr. 5, 2020, s. 968-975.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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T1 - Thymus size is associated with breastfeeding and having pets in a sex-specific manner
AU - Laursen, Rikke Pilmann
AU - Larnkjær, Anni
AU - Ritz, Christian
AU - Frøkiær, Hanne
AU - Rytter, Maren Johanne Heilskov
AU - Mølgaard, Christian
AU - Michaelsen, Kim F.
N1 - © 2019 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Aim: The aim was to examine associations between thymus size and anthropometric measurements, sex, age, breastfeeding status, presence of siblings, household pets, and infections and allergies since birth in 8- to 13-month-old healthy Danish infants.Methods: Data collected from 256 healthy infants enrolled in the ProbiComp study were used. Thymus size was assessed using sonographic measures, and thymic index (TI) and thymus weight index (TWI) was used as an absolute and a relative volume estimate, respectively.Results: In terms of TI and TWI boys had approximately 15% and 5% larger thymus than girls (p<0.001 and p<0.02, respectively). TWI was larger in girls who were still breastfed than girls who were no longer breastfed (β 0.16 cm3 /kg; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.29; p=0.01), but no difference was observed for boys. Having household pets was associated with a larger TI (p=0.02), which seemed to be driven by associations for boys (β 1.38 cm3 ; 95% CI: 0.02, 2.74). No other factors associated with thymus size was identified.Conclusion: Thymus size was associated with current breastfeeding in girls and with having household pets in boys. Sex-specific associations should be further explored in future studies on factors associated with thymus size.
AB - Aim: The aim was to examine associations between thymus size and anthropometric measurements, sex, age, breastfeeding status, presence of siblings, household pets, and infections and allergies since birth in 8- to 13-month-old healthy Danish infants.Methods: Data collected from 256 healthy infants enrolled in the ProbiComp study were used. Thymus size was assessed using sonographic measures, and thymic index (TI) and thymus weight index (TWI) was used as an absolute and a relative volume estimate, respectively.Results: In terms of TI and TWI boys had approximately 15% and 5% larger thymus than girls (p<0.001 and p<0.02, respectively). TWI was larger in girls who were still breastfed than girls who were no longer breastfed (β 0.16 cm3 /kg; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.29; p=0.01), but no difference was observed for boys. Having household pets was associated with a larger TI (p=0.02), which seemed to be driven by associations for boys (β 1.38 cm3 ; 95% CI: 0.02, 2.74). No other factors associated with thymus size was identified.Conclusion: Thymus size was associated with current breastfeeding in girls and with having household pets in boys. Sex-specific associations should be further explored in future studies on factors associated with thymus size.
KW - Faculty of Science
KW - Breastfeeding
KW - Infants
KW - Sex-differences
KW - Thymus size
U2 - 10.1111/apa.15056
DO - 10.1111/apa.15056
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 31606896
VL - 109
SP - 968
EP - 975
JO - Acta Paediatrica
JF - Acta Paediatrica
SN - 0803-5253
IS - 5
ER -
ID: 228694382