title: Association of obesity with leukocyte count in obese individuals without metabolic syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inflammation in obesity is associated to insulin resistance (IR), hyperglycemia, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Leukocytes play an important role in obesity associated inflammation. The initial factors that generate the inflammatory events in the obesity remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the association of circulating leukocytes with clinical and biochemical parameters in obese individuals with clinical and biochemical parameters in normal range and with or without IR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen obese non-diabetic and 9 lean subjects were studied for serum levels of insulin, lipids, glycated hemoglobin, glycemia, for clinical parameters as HOMA-IR, arterial pressure and anthropometric parameters, and for leukocyte counts. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (N/L) was calculated using the loge of leukocyte counts. Association between leukocytes and studied parameters was determined by Pearson's correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two groups of obese individuals were observed: with high levels of insulin (with IR) and with normal levels (without IR). Positive correlations were observed between leukocyte and lymphocyte counts with body mass index and HOMA-IR and negative correlation with decreased HDL levels. Lymphocytes correlated with increased levels of insulin. Leukocytes and neutrophils correlated positively with increased visceral fat and liver steatosis. These associations were absent in the obese group without IR. N/L ratio did not show correlations with studied parameters. The leukocyte associations were mainly observed in obese individuals with IR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data may represent initial leukocyte associations with morbidity features and define two different obese individuals that may evolve to the chronic inflammation observed in the obesity.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas "Dr. Américo Negrette", Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. Electronic address: elenaryder@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ryder
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas "Dr. Américo Negrette", Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diez-Ewald
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas "Dr. Américo Negrette", Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mosquera
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas "Dr. Américo Negrette", Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Inmunología, Escuela de Bionanalisis, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedreañez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas "Dr. Américo Negrette", Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Genética, Escuela de Bionanalisis, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas "Dr. Américo Negrette", Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D062186:Arterial Pressure; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils; D009765:Obesity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013851:Thinness / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human
keywords: Inflammation; Insulin resistance; Leukocytes; Obesity