Adenovirus-36 Seropositivity and Its Relation with Obesity and Metabolic Profile in Children

Abstract EN

The human adenovirus 36 (Ad-36) is causally and correlatively associated in animals and humans, respectively, with increased adiposity and altered metabolic profile.

In previous studies, the relationship between Ad-36 seropositivity with obesity was established in adults and children.

We evaluated the association of positive antibodies to Ad-36 with obesity and metabolic profile in Mexican children.

Seventy-five children with normal-weight and 82 with obesity were studied in this research.

All children had a clinic assessment which included weight, height, body circumferences, and skinfold thickness.

Laboratory analyzes included triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and glucose and insulin levels.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the antibodies to Ad-36 in the serum samples.

The overall Ad-36 seroprevalence was 73.9%.

Ad-36 seropositivity had a higher prevalence in obese children than in normal weight group (58.6 versus 41.4%, P=0.007).

Ad-36 seropositivity was associated with obesity (OR=2.66, P=0.01) and high-density lipoprotein <40 mg/dL (OR=2.85, P=0.03).

The Ad-36 seropositive group had greater risk of 4 metabolic abnormalities compared with those children without none alteration.

In summary, Ad-36 seropositivity was associated with obesity and low HDL-c levels in the sample of children studied.