Association between low birth weight and elevated white blood cell count in adulthood within a Japanese population.
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.
Wada
Keiko
K
Department of Public Health/Health Information Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Tamakoshi
Koji
K
Ouyang
Pei
P
Otsuka
Rei
R
Mitsuhashi
Hirotsugu
H
Takefuji
Seiko
S
Matsushita
Kunihiro
K
Sugiura
Kaichiro
K
Hotta
Yo
Y
Toyoshima
Hideaki
H
Yatsuya
Hiroshi
H
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