Abstract
We analysed the asymptomatic carrier state of Neisseria meningitidis in a sample of 339 children. We obtained data for the children’s weight and height, in order to calculate the body mass index (BMI). The cutoff points defined by Cole were employed in determining the BMI, and the population was divided into three groups: normal, overweight and obese. Twenty carriers of N. meningitidis were identified. There was found to be a statistically significant trend to increased risk of being a carrier with increased BMI (z = 2.03; P = 0.04); after adjusting for age using the Mantel–Haenszel weighting method, this relationship was strengthened (z = 2.38; P = 0.01). Paediatric patients with increased BMI in the range of obesity present a three times greater risk of being carriers of N. meningitidis than non-obese patients, with a trend for this risk to increase with higher BMI.
References
Bryans AM (1967) Childhood obesity—prelude to adult obesity. Can J Public Health 58:486–490
Hilda Segura N, Hernández L, Velázquez C, Rodríguez J, Murillo E (2007) Asthma and obesity: related inflammatory diseases. Rev Alerg Mex 54:24–28
Cemerski S, van Meerwijk JP, Romagnoli P (2003) Oxidative-stress-induced T lymphocyte hyporesponsiveness is caused by structural modification rather than proteasomal degradation of crucial TCR signaling molecules. Eur J Immunol 33:2178–2185
MacLennan J, Kafatos G, Neal K, Andrews N, Cameron JC, Roberts R, Evans MR, Cann K, Baxter DN, Maiden MC, Stuart JM (2006) Social behavior and meningococcal carriage in British teenagers. Emerg Infect Dis 12:950–957
Barness LA (2007) Obesity in children. Fetal Pediatr Pathol 26:75–85
Cole TJ, Bellizzi MC, Flegal KM, Dietz WH (2000) Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ 320:1240–1243
Uberos J, Molina-Carballo A, Galdo-Muñoz G, Muñoz-Hoyos A (2007) Total antioxidant capacity of plasma in asymptomatic carrier state of Neisseria meningitidis. Epidemiol Infect 135(5):857–860. doi:10.1017/S0950268806007539
Cheeseman KH, Slater TF (1993) An introduction to free radical biochemistry. Br Med Bull 49:481–493
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Uberos, J., Molina-Carballo, A., Fernández-Puentes, V. et al. Overweight and obesity as risk factors for the asymptomatic carrier state of Neisseria meningitidis among a paediatric population. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 29, 333–334 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-009-0849-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-009-0849-7