Body fat and circulating leukocytes in children
F Zaldivar1, R G McMurray, D Nemet
1Pediatric Exercise Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
Insights
Overweight children have higher circulating immune cell counts, indicating low-grade inflammation. This finding supports interventions to prevent and manage pediatric obesity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Obesity is a growing global health concern in children.
- It is associated with various comorbidities, including chronic inflammation.
- Understanding the immunological impact of pediatric obesity is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between obesity and circulating immune cell levels in children.
- To determine if overweight children exhibit altered granulocyte, monocyte, and lymphocyte counts.
- To explore correlations between body composition metrics and immune cell populations.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study design was used, analyzing leukocytes in normal weight (NW) and overweight (OW) children.
- Participants included 38 children (ages 6-18), with 15 NW and 23 OW based on BMI percentiles.
- Body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (DEXA), and complete blood counts (CBC) with flow cytometry were assessed.
Main Results:
- Overweight children showed significantly higher total leukocyte counts, neutrophils, monocytes, and T lymphocytes (CD3, CD4+).
- Leukocyte counts positively correlated with BMI percentile, BMI, and percent body fat.
- No significant relationships were found between lean body mass or VO2peak and leukocyte levels.
Conclusions:
- Overweight children exhibit elevated circulating immune cell counts, suggesting low-grade systemic inflammation.
- This inflammation is a potential mechanism for obesity-related long-term health complications.
- The findings underscore the importance of preventing and correcting pediatric obesity.
Objective:
To determine the effects of obesity on baseline levels of circulating granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocyte subtypes in otherwise healthy children.
Design:
Two group comparison of leukocytes in normal weight control and overweight children.
Subjects:
In total, 38 boys and girls, ages 6-18 years, divided in two groups: normal weight, (NW, BMI<85th %tile, n=15) and overweight (OW, body mass index (BMI)>85th %tile, n=23).
Measurements:
BMI obtained from direct measures of height and body mass. Body fat was assessed by DEXA. Complete blood counts (CBC) were obtained by standard clinical hematology methods and surface antigen staining by flow cytometry.
Results:
The OW group compared to the NW group had increased total leukocytes counts (P=0.011), neutrophils (P=0.006), monocytes (P=0.008), total T (CD3) lymphocytes (P=0.022), and Helper T (CD4(+)) cells (P=0.003). Significant correlations were evident between leukocytes, and BMI percentile, BMI, or percent body fat. Neither lean body mass nor VO(2peak) per unit lean body mass were significantly related to any of the leukocytes. Percent body fat and BMI percentile were positively correlated (P<0.05) to total T cells (CD3) and/or helper T cells (CD4(+)).
Conclusion:
A group of 23 overweight children displayed elevated counts in most types of circulating immune cells, suggesting the presence of low-grade systemic inflammation, a known pathogenetic mechanism underlying most long-term complications of obesity. Our data provide an additional rationale for the importance of avoiding or correcting pediatric obesity.
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