PMID- 19127070
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20090609
LR  - 20090514
IS  - 1423-0097 (Electronic)
IS  - 1018-2438 (Linking)
VI  - 149
IP  - 2
DP  - 2009
TI  - Association between obesity and atopy in Chinese schoolchildren.
PG  - 133-40
LID - 10.1159/000189196 [doi]
AB  - BACKGROUND: Despite parallel increases in asthma and obesity prevalence, there is 
      little data on obesity as a risk factor for atopy. The latter is an important 
      phenotype in asthmatic patients. This study investigates the association between 
      asthma traits, atopy and obesity-related markers in Chinese adolescents. METHODS: 
      486 schoolchildren were recruited among participants of our population-based 
      study on the epidemiology of obesity, and their allergy status was ascertained 
      using a standardized questionnaire. Subjects' anthropometry was recorded on-site, 
      and fasting blood was collected for allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), 
      lipids and systemic inflammatory biomarkers. RESULTS: 98 (20.2%) subjects were 
      classified as overweight or obese. Obesity status was not associated with asthma, 
      allergic rhinitis or eczema (p > 0.25). Atopy was not associated with 
      age-adjusted body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference. Atopy and presence of 
      allergen-specific IgE did not differ between overweight or obese children and 
      those with normal BMI (p > 0.25), although subgroup analysis suggested that 
      cockroach sensitization was more common among males who were obese or overweight 
      (p = 0.045). White cell count (WCC) was higher among atopic than nonatopic 
      children (mean values 6.5 x 10(9)/l vs. 6.2 x 10(9)/l, p = 0.006). Logistic 
      regression revealed WCC to be the only risk factor for atopy (OR 18.97, p = 
      0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is not associated with asthma or atopy in Chinese 
      children. High WCC is an important risk factor for atopy in both males and 
      females. Gender does not exert any consistent effect on the association between 
      obesity and allergen sensitization in children.
CI  - Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.
FAU - Leung, Ting Fan
AU  - Leung TF
AD  - Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales 
      Hospital, Room 84043, 6/F, Clinical Sciences Building, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong 
      SAR, China. tfleung@cuhk.edu.hk
FAU - Kong, Alice P S
AU  - Kong AP
FAU - Chan, Iris H S
AU  - Chan IH
FAU - Choi, Kai Chow
AU  - Choi KC
FAU - Ho, Chung Shun
AU  - Ho CS
FAU - Chan, Michael H M
AU  - Chan MH
FAU - So, Wing Yee
AU  - So WY
FAU - Lam, Christopher W K
AU  - Lam CW
FAU - Wong, Gary W K
AU  - Wong GW
FAU - Chan, Juliana C N
AU  - Chan JC
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20090106
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Int Arch Allergy Immunol
JT  - International archives of allergy and immunology
JID - 9211652
RN  - 0 (Allergens)
RN  - 0 (Lipids)
RN  - 37341-29-0 (Immunoglobulin E)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Allergens/immunology
MH  - Body Mass Index
MH  - China/epidemiology
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Hypersensitivity/*epidemiology/*etiology/immunology
MH  - Immunoglobulin E/blood
MH  - Leukocyte Count
MH  - Lipids/blood
MH  - Logistic Models
MH  - Male
MH  - Obesity/*complications
MH  - Risk Factors
MH  - Waist Circumference
EDAT- 2009/01/08 09:00
MHDA- 2009/06/10 09:00
CRDT- 2009/01/08 09:00
PHST- 2008/04/28 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2008/08/27 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2009/01/08 09:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2009/01/08 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2009/06/10 09:00 [medline]
AID - 000189196 [pii]
AID - 10.1159/000189196 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2009;149(2):133-40. doi: 10.1159/000189196. Epub 2009 
      Jan 6.