Association between the human immune response and body mass index.

The aim of this study was to determine the strength of the association between the human immune response and body mass index (BMI) and whether differences exist in the effects of obesity on selected immune parameters between men and women. Two hundred ninety participants were divided into groups according to sex and BMI. Parameters CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16+56, CD19, HLADR, CD11b, CD11c, and CD54 were quantified. Leukocyte and differential counts were performed. We observed elevation with regard to the normal weight group in the parameters of white blood cells, neutrophils, monocytes, CD3, CD4, CD19, and CD11b for the whole study group. A decrease was observed in the expression of CD16+56. The effect of BMI on the immune system was much more apparent in women. BMI was correlated with the majority of the measured parameters, reflecting a strong association between BMI and the human immune system.

Changes in immunologic parameters of humoral immunity and adipocytokines in obese persons are gender dependent.

The aim of this study was to investigate several immunologic parameters using of immunonephelometry and adipocytokines by the enzyme immunoassay and their changes in different states of obesity. Obesity is considered to involve a state of chronic low-grade inflammation, with links between adipose cells and the immune system. We found significantly higher complement C3 levels in all obese subjects. Levels of the complement C4 were significantly higher in obese women, but not in men, when compared with the corresponding group of normal weight subjects. The increase in C-reactive protein concentrations was significant in both obese and morbidly obese women, but only in morbidly obese men. No significant differences in tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 were found. sE-selectin levels were higher in both overweight and obese women but only in morbidly obese men. We found decreased adiponectin concentrations in obese and morbidly obese women. Concentrations of leptin were significantly higher only in obese men (p < 0.05), whereas in women the increase in leptin levels was significant in overweight, obese, and morbidly obese subjects. In conclusion, our results demonstrate elevated levels of C3, C-reactive protein, sE-selectin, and leptin in obese women and men. In obese women, we also observed increased concentrations of C4 and decreased levels of adiponectin.

Maternal and early postnatal polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in relation to total serum immunoglobulin concentrations in 6-month-old infants.

Animal data indicate that developmental tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure alters immune function; however, the potential immunotoxicity of dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the developing infant is an understudied area. The aim of the current study is to examine the association between maternal and early postnatal PCB concentrations in relation to total infant serum immunoglobulin concentrations determined at 6-months-of-age. We selected 384 mother-infant pairs participating in a birth cohort study in Eastern Slovakia. PCB concentrations of several congeners were determined in maternal and cord serum samples and in infant serum samples collected at 6-months-of-age using gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Total immunoglobulin (Ig) G, A, and M concentrations were determined by nephelometry, and IgE concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Linear regression models with adjustment for potential confounding factors were used to estimate the associations between maternal, cord, and 6-month infant PCB concentrations and total serum immunoglobulins. The median maternal serum concentration of PCB-153 was 140?ng/g lipid, ?10-fold higher than concentrations in childbearing-age women in the United States during the same period. Maternal, cord, or 6-month infant PCB concentrations were not associated with total serum immunoglobulin levels at 6 months, regardless of the timing of PCB exposure, PCB congener, or specific immunoglobulin. In this population, which has high PCB concentrations relative to most populations in the world today, we did not observe any association between maternal and early postnatal PCB concentrations and total immunoglobulin measures of IgG, IgA, IgM, or IgE.

A cohort study of developmental polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure in relation to post-vaccination antibody response at 6-months of age.

BACKGROUND: Extensive experimental data in animals indicate that exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) during pregnancy leads to changes in offspring immune function during the postnatal period. Whether developmental PCB exposure influences immunologic development in humans has received little study. METHODS: The study population was 384 mother-infant pairs recruited from two districts of eastern Slovakia for whom prospectively collected maternal, cord, and 6-month infant blood specimens were available. Several PCB congeners were measured in maternal, cord, and 6-month infant sera by high-resolution gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Concentrations of IgG-specific anti-haemophilus influenzae type b, tetanus toxoid, and diphtheria toxoid were assayed in 6-month infant sera using ELISA methods. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate the relation between maternal, cord, and 6-month infant PCB concentrations and the antibody concentrations evaluated at 6-months of age. RESULTS: Overall, there was little evidence of an association between infant antibody concentrations and PCB measures during the pre- and early postnatal period. In addition, our results did not show specificity in terms of associations limited to a particular developmental period (e.g. pre- vs. postnatal), a particular antibody, or a particular PCB congener. CONCLUSIONS: At the PCB concentrations measured in this cohort, which are high relative to most human populations today, we did not detect an association between maternal or early postnatal PCB exposure and specific antibody responses at 6-months of age.