EVALUATION OF SOME IMMUNOLOGICAL INDEXES IN CHILDREN WITH ALLERGIC DISEASES AND OBESITY

Aim. Study some immunological indexes in children with allergic diseases depending on body weight and clinical manifestations of allergy. Materials and methods. A correlation analysis of relationship of indexes of natural resistance (phagocytosis, complement), immunoglobulin level and main lymphocyte populations with body weight in 214 children aged 12 - 17 years with various allergic diseases (rhinitis/ rhinoconjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma) was carried out. The children were divided into groups based on body mass index (BMI): 73 (34%) children with normal weight, 74 (35%) overweight and 67 (31%) obese. Results. The analysis has shown that the frequency of detection of children with obesity is the highest for age 12 - 14 years. With the increase of age the number of obese children decreases (OR - 9.0; 95% CI: 1.56 - 51.87; p=0.008 and OR - 0.27; 95% CI: 0.08 - 0.94; p=0.04, respectively). An interrelation of BMI with clinical exacerbations of allergy was detected. Out of 166 patients with allergic diseases combined with bronchial asthma excessive weight was detected in 62 (37%), obesity - in 57 (34%) and normal weight - in 47 (28%). In a group of 48 children with allergy without asthma excessive weight was noted in 12 (25%), obesity - in 10 (21%) and normal weight - in 26 (54%) of patients. In children with bronchial asthma excessive weight occurs almost 3 times more frequently than in children with allergy and without asthma. Differences could not be detected in 3 groups of children when immune status indexes were compared, except total IgE and NK cell levels. Total IgE level was the highest in obese children (2.7 log), differed significantly from the level in obese (2.46 log) and normal weight (2.37 log, r=0.32, p<0.05) children. The relative content of NK cells in blood of obese children was significantly higher than in children with normal and excessive weight (r=0.41). The analysis of significant correlation coefficient indexes detected correlative associations of some immunological indexes with BMI. In overweight children a negative relation between the level of complement and BMI (r=-0.61) and positive relation with phagocytosis index (r=0.58) were detected. Conclusion. Obesity in children with allergic diseases is associated with an increase of conjugation of immunological indexes manifesting in an increase of number of natural killers (NK), phagocytosis indexes, increased total IgE level against the background of negative interrelation with the main populations of lymphocytes, that in general influences aggravation of allergopathology in the form of a higher frequency of detection of atopic bronchial asthma.

allergic diseases, excessive weight, obesity, asthma, immunological indexes