Adenovirus-36 antibodies more frequent in obese children

Gabbert C. Pediatrics. 2010;126:721-726.

A significantly higher number of obese children had neutralizing antibodies to adenovirus-36 than nonobese children, a cross-sectional study found.

“Possibilities for this association include true causality, increased susceptibility to infection within obese children, and predisposition to persistent [adenovirus-36]-specific antibodies after infection. These hypotheses can be tested in cohort studies,” the researchers wrote.

Charles Gabbert, MD, of the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues looked for the antibodies in 124 children aged 8 to 18 years (median age of 13.6 years). A total of 54% of children with a BMI in at least the 95th percentile were defined as obese, whereas 46% of children with a BMI less than the 95th percentile were nonobese, according to the study.

Overall, adenovirus-36 (AD36) was present in 19 children (15%). Of these, 15 (78%) were obese. The presence of A36 was significantly more frequent in obese children (15 of 67 children; 22%) than nonobese children (four of 57 children; 7%). AD36-positive obese children had significantly larger anthropometric measures, including BMI, waist circumference, waist/height ratio and weight, according to the study.

“The possibility that excess weight gain in some children may be attributable to a viral infection could alter the public debate and perceptions regarding childhood obesity,” the researchers concluded. “Another major factor to consider will be whether obese children who are AD36-positive respond differently to weight-loss treatments, compared with obese children who are AD36-negative. If there is a true cause-and-effect relationship between AD36 and human weight gain, then obese children who are AD36-positive may require different, possibly more, intensive interventions.”

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