AUTHOR=Gállego-Suárez Cecilia , Bulan Ayse , Hirschfeld Emily , Wachowiak Phillip , Abrishami Simin , Griffin Cameron , Sturza Julie , Tzau Abigail , Hayes Taryn , Woolford Susan J. , Lumeng Carey N. , Lee Joyce M. , Singer Kanakadurga
TITLE=Enhanced Myeloid Leukocytes in Obese Children and Adolescents at Risk for Metabolic Impairment
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology
VOLUME=11
YEAR=2020
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2020.00327
DOI=10.3389/fendo.2020.00327
ISSN=1664-2392
ABSTRACT=Objective: We aimed to examine if myeloid leukocyte profiles are associated with metabolic impairment in children and adolescents with obesity, and if sex, age, or race influence this relationship.
Methods: 282 children ages 8–17 were evaluated. Predictor measures were absolute neutrophil counts (ANC), absolute monocyte count, monocyte subtypes and C reactive protein (CRP). Outcome variables were waist circumference, fasting glucose and insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c (%) and lipid profiles. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine associations between predictor and outcome variables. Wilcoxon two-sample tests were used to evaluate differences by sex.
Results: CRP (p < 0.0001), ANC (p < 0.0018), and classical monocytes (p = 0.05) were significantly higher in children with obesity. CRP, ANC and classical monocytes showed positive correlations with waist circumference, insulin, HOMA-IR and triglycerides. CRP was positively associated with ANC overall (p = 0.05). ANC demonstrated positive correlation with monocytes (p < 0.001). The associations between predictor and outcome variables were influenced by sex, race, and age.
Conclusions: CRP and myeloid leukocyte populations, specifically classical monocytes and neutrophils associate with both body composition and metabolic parameters in children with obesity suggesting that these cells may play a critical role in metabolic impairment. Race, gender and age interactions between monocytes and metabolic parameters were significant.