title: Association between low birth weight and elevated white blood cell count in adulthood within a Japanese population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidemiological studies have demonstrated the association between low birth weight and increased adulthood risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, the precise mechanism underlying the association remains poorly understood. We investigated the association between birth weight and adult white blood cell (WBC) count in a Japanese population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The subjects were 779 men and 209 women aged 35-64 years. The mean WBC count was 5,283 /microl (SD: 1,326). Birth weight was divided to 6 categories: <2,500, 2,500-<2,800, 2,800-<3,000, 3,000-<3,200, 3,200-<3,500, and >3,500 g. Estimated WBC counts were 5,729, 5,341, 5,301, 5,212, 5,013 and 5,372 for the subjects with birth weights of the above respective categories (p=0.015, trend p=0.016) by one-way analysis of covariance after adjustments for sex, age, height, body mass index (BMI), lifestyles, and chronic diseases. This association was pronounced among the subjects with a BMI <25.0 kg/m2 rather than those with a higher BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support the idea that part of the association of low birth weight with elevated risk for vascular and metabolic diseases in later life could be mediated by an inflammatory pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health/Health Information Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamakoshi
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitsuhashi
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takefuji
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: Kaichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Yo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toyoshima
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yatsuya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007249:Inflammation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors