Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T08:50:05.196Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Are obese adolescents more prone to get infections? The HELENA study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2011

L. E. Díaz ,
S. Gomez-Martínez ,
J. Warnberg ,
L. Moreno ,
J. R. Ruiz ,
K. Widhalm ,
A. Kafatos ,
C. Breidenassel ,
M. Ferrari  and
J. Repassy
...Show all authors
L. E. Díaz
Affiliation:
Immunonutrition Research Group, Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
S. Gomez-Martínez
Affiliation:
Immunonutrition Research Group, Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
J. Warnberg
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
L. Moreno
Affiliation:
College of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Spain
J. R. Ruiz
Affiliation:
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
K. Widhalm
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, Division of Clinical Nutrition, Medical University of Vienna
A. Kafatos
Affiliation:
Department of Social Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Nutrition Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Crete, Greece
C. Breidenassel
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences-Nutritional Physiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
M. Ferrari
Affiliation:
National Research Institute on Food and Nutrition, Rome, Italy
J. Repassy
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, University of Pécs, Pécs-József A.7, Pecs, Hungary
I. Huybrechts
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
A. Marcos
Affiliation:
Immunonutrition Research Group, Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Type
Abstract
Information
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 70 , Issue OCE2: 5th International Immunonutrition Workshop, 6–8 April 2011, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico , 2011 , E31
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2011

Obesity has been related not only to hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and certain tumours but also to immune dysfunction, which is accompanied by a high rate of infections. Studies in obese human subjects and animals have reported increased adiposity affecting the humoral immune response, which is essential to block host pathogen invasion. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining possible association between some humoral immune markers and body composition in healthy adolescents from the HELENA cross-sectional study.

A subsample of 1000 healthy adolescents ranged between 12.5 and 17.5 years old was selected. Blood samples were analysed for leucocyte, B-lymphocyte and serum Ig levels. CD19 (B-cells) subset was analysed by flow cytometry (FACSCAN PLUS DUAL LASER, Becton Dickinson Sunnyvale, CA, USA). Serum IgG, IgA and IgM concentrations were determined by nephelometry. Height, weight, waist and hip circumference values were measured according to the methodology described elsewhere(Reference Nagy, Vicente-Rodriguez and Manios1). BMI was calculated.

In the obese group (boys and girls), only IgA showed significant differences in boys in comparison with optimum BMI and overweight (176±90.2 v. 134±61.2 and 138±59.9, respectively). Positive correlations were also found between IgA with waist (r=0.110, P=0.018) and hip (r=0.123, P=0.008) circumferences.

These results showed that serum IgA concentration was the most sensitive marker, probably suggesting a higher risk of infection in obese boys than in the rest of the groups.

a,b, Significant differences between groups. Student's t test (P<0.05), *Positive correlations between IgA with waist (r=0.110, P=0.018) and hip (r=0.123, P=0.008) circumferences.

References

1.Nagy, E, Vicente-Rodriguez, G, Manios, Y, et al. . (2008) Int J Obes 32, S58–S65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar