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Effect of Vegetation in Kindergartens on the Immune Response of Children

Not Applicable
Conditions
Ige Responsiveness, Atopic
Interventions
Other: Adding of vegetation into the backyards of kindergarten
Registration Number
NCT02733926
Lead Sponsor
University of Helsinki
Brief Summary

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.

Detailed Description

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.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
100
Inclusion Criteria
  • children living in study kindergartens
Exclusion Criteria
  • immune system deficiency, e.g. HIV-infection
  • a drug decreasing immune system response, e.g. oral corticosteroid
  • immune system disorder that affects immune response, e.g. rheumatoid
  • colitis ulcerosa, Crohn disease, diabetes
  • cancer
  • age less than 3 or more than 5
  • born outside Finland
  • intellectual disability

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
adding of vegetation into the backyards.Adding of vegetation into the backyards of kindergartenChildren living in a normal city kindergarten that has plenty of vegetation in backyards. Intervention: adding of vegetation into the backyards.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Diversity of Gammaproteobacteria on skin.28 days

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.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
TGF-beta change in serum plasma28 days

An increase in TGF-beta in intervention arm but not in control arm at the end of the 28 days intervention

Skin bacterial community changes at phylum level28 days

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).

Stool bacterial community changes at phylum level28 days

Community composition of gut bacterial phyla are different between arms. Other changes include changes in relative abundance, richness and diversity.

TGF-beta: IL-17A ratio in serum plasma28 days

An increase in TGF-beta: IL17A ratio in intervention arm but not in control arm at the end of the 28 days intervention

IL-17A change in serum plasma28 days

A decrease in IL-17A in intervention arm but not in control arm at the end of the 28 days intervention

IL-10 change in serum plasma28 days

An increase in IL-10 in intervention arm but not in control arm at the end of the 28 days intervention

Skin bacterial community changes at class level28 days

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).

Skin bacterial community changes at order level28 days

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.

Skin bacterial community changes at family level are higher in intervention than control arm28 days

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).

Skin bacterial community changes at genus level28 days

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).

Associations between serum plasma TGF-beta and skin microbiota changes28 days

change in the cytokine will be separately compared with changes in bacterial diversity on skin

Stool bacterial community changes at class level28 days

Community composition of gut bacterial classes are different between arms. Other changes include changes in relative abundance, richness and diversity.

Stool bacterial community changes at order level28 days

Community composition of gut bacterial orders are different between arms. Other changes include changes in relative abundance, richness and diversity.

Associations between serum plasma IL-10 and skin Gammaproteobacterial microbiota changes28 days

change in the cytokine will be separately compared with changes in Gammaproteobacterial diversity on skin

Stool bacterial community changes at family level28 days

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.

Gut Faecalibacterium community changes28 days

Community composition of gut Faecalibacterium is different between arms. Faecalibacterium has been associated with gut health and low incidence of certain immune mediated diseases.

Associations between serum plasma IL-17 and skin Gammaproteobacterial microbiota changes28 days

change in the cytokine will be separately compared with changes in Gammaproteobacterial diversity on skin

Interleukin-10 : interleukin-17A ratio in serum plasma28 days

An increase IL-10: IL-17A ratio in each arm at the end of the 28 day intervention will be examined

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Helsinki University

🇫🇮

Lahti, Häme, Finland

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