< Back to previous page

Publication

Increased serum IgG and IgA in overweight children relate to a less favourable metabolic phenotype

Journal Contribution - Journal Article

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT: The adaptive immune system has been shown to be a novel modulator of insulin resistance. Increased activation of B lymphocytes has been described in obese mice and in obese and type 2 diabetic patients. B lymphocytes promote insulin resistance by accumulating in adipose tissue and producing pathogenic antibodies. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Increased serum concentrations of IgG and IgA were found in overweight pre-pubertal children. Increasing concentrations of IgG and IgA were in obese, but not in lean pre-pubertal children, associated with a less favourable metabolic phenotype, consisting of increased insulin resistance and a more adverse lipid profile. BACKGROUND: The adaptive immune system has emerged as an unexpected modulator of insulin resistance. B lymphocytes accumulate in adipose tissue and produce pathogenic antibodies that cause insulin resistance. OBJECTIVE: We studied whether circulating immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) were related to metabolic risk markers in pre-pubertal children with and without overweight. DESIGN AND METHODS: Subjects were 270 asymptomatic pre-pubertal Caucasian children (145 lean, 125 overweight) recruited in a primary care setting. Assessments included serum IgG, IgA and IgM concentrations (nephelometry), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and fasting lipids (triacylglycerol and high-density lipoprotein [HDL]-cholesterol). RESULTS: Overweight children had higher IgG and IgA serum levels than lean children (P ≤ 0.01). Increasing serum IgG and IgA, but not IgM, were associated with a less favourable metabolic phenotype, consisting of higher HOMA-IR and triacylglycerol and lower HDL-cholesterol, particularly in obese children, in whom serum IgG and IgA were both independently associated with HOMA-IR (β = 0.308, P = 0.017, r(2)  = 9.5% and β = 0.361, P = 0.005, r(2)  = 13.0%, respectively) and triacylglycerol (β = 0.343, P = 0.006, r(2)  = 11.1% and β = 0.354, P = 0.003, r(2)  = 12.2%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Increased circulating IgG and IgA in overweight children are associated with a less favourable metabolic phenotype, particularly in obese children. These results suggest a relationship between adaptive immunity and insulin resistance in childhood obesity.
Journal: Pediatric Obesity
ISSN: 2047-6310
Issue: 3
Volume: 9
Pages: 232 - 238
Publication year:2014
BOF-keylabel:yes
IOF-keylabel:yes
BOF-publication weight:3
CSS-citation score:1
Authors:International
Authors from:Higher Education