title: White blood cell subsets are associated with carotid intima-media thickness and pulse wave velocity in an older Chinese population: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.
abstract: Cross-sectional associations between white blood cell (WBC) count, lymphocyte and granulocyte numbers, and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) were examined in a novel older Chinese community sample. A total of 817 men and 760 women from a sub-study of the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study had a full blood count measured by an automated hematology analyzer, carotid IMT by B-mode ultrasonography and brachial-ankle PWV by a non-invasive automatic waveform analyzer. Following adjustment for confounders, WBC count (β=0.07, P<0.001) and granulocyte (β=0.07, P<0.001) number were significantly positively related to PWV, but not lymphocyte number. Similarly, WBC count (β=0.08, P=0.03), lymphocyte (β=0.08, P=0.002) and granulocyte (β=0.03, P=0.04) number were significantly positively associated with carotid IMT, but only the association with lymphocyte count survived correction for other cardiovascular risk factors. In conclusion, higher WBC, particularly lymphocyte and granulocyte, count could be used, respectively, as markers of cardiovascular disease risk, measured through indicators of atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness. The associations for WBC count previously observed by others were likely driven by higher granulocytes; an index of systemic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. A.C.Phillips@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: C Q
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: X J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D044466:Asian People; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes; D016014:Linear Models; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014015:Tissue Banks; D059289:Vascular Stiffness