title: Adiposity, serum lipid levels, and allergic sensitization in Chinese men and women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity and allergic diseases have increased dramatically in recent decades. Although adiposity has been associated with asthma, associations with allergic sensitization have been inconsistent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association of adiposity and lipid profiles with allergic sensitization.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 1187 rural Chinese twins (653 men) age 18 to 39 years, with skin prick tests, anthropometric and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-assessed adiposity measures, and lipid assessments. Allergic sensitization was defined as positive SPT to >/=1 allergen (9 foods and 5 aeroallergens tested). We applied sex-stratified generalized estimating equations to assess the association of adiposity and serum lipids with allergic sensitization, and structural equation models to estimate the genetic/environmental influences on any observed associations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Men had lower percent body fat (% BF) (13.9% vs. 28.8%) but higher rates of allergic sensitization (56.2% vs 36.7%) than women. Men in the highest %BF quartile were 2.1 times more likely to be sensitized than the lowest quartile (95% CI, 1.3-3.5; P trend = .003). In men, the risk of allergic sensitization increased with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) <40 mg/dL (odds ratio = 4.0; 95% CI, 1.8-9.2) and higher low-density lipoprotein quartiles (P trend = .007). This appeared to be partially explained by shared genetic factors between serum lipid levels and allergic sensitization. In females, lower HDL was associated with increased risk of allergic sensitization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this relatively lean Chinese population, higher %BF, lower HDL and higher LDL were associated with greater risk of allergic sensitization, most notable in men. The observed associations among adiposity, serum lipids, and allergic sensitization in men appear to be partially explained by common genetic influences on these traits.
authors.affiliation: Mary Ann and J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research Program, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Children's Memorial Hospital and Children's Memorial Research Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Fengxiu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pongracic
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Story
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Binyan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Houxun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wenbin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Shanchun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiaobin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides