This study evaluates the effect of vegetation cover on certain Interleukin-10 and immunoglobulinE (IgE) among children (3-5 y old). Children will either be in a kindergarten that does not have forest floor and agricultural land in the backyards, or alternatively they will be in a kindergarten that does have forest floor and agricultural land in the backyards.
High vegetation cover is assumed to change immunoglobulinE (IgE) and interleukin-10 concentrations in blood serum. Children living in high-green kindergarten are compared with those kindergarten living utilizing backyards with a low-green cover.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Living plants are transferred into the backyards of kindergartens. This is assumed to affect the measured variables of children.
Helsinki University
Lahti, Kanta-Häme, Finland
Diversity of Gammaproteobacteria on skin.
Diversity of skin Gammaproteobacteria is higher in intervention arm compared to control arm and similar compared to nature-oriented arm after 28-day intervention. It will be measured at baseline and after 28-day intervention.
Time frame: 28 days
TGF-beta change in serum plasma
An increase in TGF-beta in intervention arm but not in control arm at the end of the 28 days intervention
Time frame: 28 days
TGF-beta: IL-17A ratio in serum plasma
An increase in TGF-beta: IL17A ratio in intervention arm but not in control arm at the end of the 28 days intervention
Time frame: 28 days
IL-10 change in serum plasma
An increase in IL-10 in intervention arm but not in control arm at the end of the 28 days intervention
Time frame: 28 days
IL-17A change in serum plasma
A decrease in IL-17A in intervention arm but not in control arm at the end of the 28 days intervention
Time frame: 28 days
Skin bacterial community changes at phylum level
Diversity of skin bacterial phyla, particularly Proteobacterial community, is higher in intervention arm compared to control arm. Proteobacterial community was associated with the coverage of green land cover in an earlier study. In addition, it was different in atopic and non-atopic study subjects in an earlier study. Diversity is measured as Shannon diversity index, Multivariate Homogeneity of Group Dispersions and the number of taxa (richness).
Time frame: 28 days
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Skin bacterial community changes at class level
Diversity of skin bacterial classes is higher in intervention arm compared to control arm. Diversity of skin bacterial classes is higher in intervention arm compared to control arm. Other community changes include changes in relative abundance, richness and in community composition. If community changes are found, the same difference is searched for in the comparison of surface soil microbiota of intervention versus standard daycare yards. Diversity is measured as Shannon diversity index, Multivariate Homogeneity of Group Dispersions and the number of taxa (richness).
Time frame: 28 days
Skin bacterial community changes at order level
Order level diversity is higher in intervention arm than control arm (in standard daycares). Other community changes include changes in relative abundance, richness and in community composition. If community changes are found, the same difference is searched for in the comparison of surface soil microbiota of intervention versus standard daycare yards.
Time frame: 28 days
Skin bacterial community changes at family level are higher in intervention than control arm
If differences are found, it will be checked if diversity of one or more skin bacterial families is related to soil bacterial diversity. Diversity is measured as Shannon diversity index, Multivariate Homogeneity of Group Dispersions and the number of taxa (richness).
Time frame: 28 days
Skin bacterial community changes at genus level
Diversity of skin bacterial genera is related to arms, i.e. higher in intervention arm. If differences are found, it will be checked if these occur also in soil bacterial diversity. Diversity is measured as Shannon diversity index, Multivariate Homogeneity of Group Dispersions and the number of taxa (richness).
Time frame: 28 days
Stool bacterial community changes at phylum level
Community composition of gut bacterial phyla are different between arms. Other changes include changes in relative abundance, richness and diversity.
Time frame: 28 days
Stool bacterial community changes at class level
Community composition of gut bacterial classes are different between arms. Other changes include changes in relative abundance, richness and diversity.
Time frame: 28 days
Stool bacterial community changes at order level
Community composition of gut bacterial orders are different between arms. Other changes include changes in relative abundance, richness and diversity.
Time frame: 28 days
Stool bacterial community changes at family level
Community composition of gut bacterial families, particularly Ruminococcaceae, is different between arms. Ruminococcaceae contain taxa associated with the production of short chain fatty acids, such as butyrate. Other changes include changes in relative abundance, richness and diversity.
Time frame: 28 days
Gut Faecalibacterium community changes
Community composition of gut Faecalibacterium is different between arms. Faecalibacterium has been associated with gut health and low incidence of certain immune mediated diseases.
Time frame: 28 days
Associations between serum plasma TGF-beta and skin microbiota changes
change in the cytokine will be separately compared with changes in bacterial diversity on skin
Time frame: 28 days
Associations between serum plasma IL-10 and skin Gammaproteobacterial microbiota changes
change in the cytokine will be separately compared with changes in Gammaproteobacterial diversity on skin
Time frame: 28 days
Associations between serum plasma IL-17 and skin Gammaproteobacterial microbiota changes
change in the cytokine will be separately compared with changes in Gammaproteobacterial diversity on skin
Time frame: 28 days
Interleukin-10 : interleukin-17A ratio in serum plasma
An increase IL-10: IL-17A ratio in each arm at the end of the 28 day intervention will be examined
Time frame: 28 days