A Prospective Study Investigating the Impact of Obesity on the Immune Response to the Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine in Children and Adolescents

Clarke, Michelle; Mathew, Suja Mary; Giles, Lynne; Peña, Alexia S; Barr, Ian G.; Richmond, Peter; Marshall, Helen

doi:10.3390/vaccines10050699

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…should be instituted from an early age. In addition, overweight children should benefit from medical and psychological counselling, and active prophylactic methods, such as vaccination to prevent acute diseases that can prove to be severe in this group of patients [ 48 , 49 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laboratory Findings in Children with Excess Body Weight in Romania

et al. 2023

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Background and Objectives: Childhood obesity has been increasing at a worrisome pace and emerging as a non-infectious pandemic in the pediatric population in recent years. Raising awareness on this problem is of utmost importance, in order to take action to control body weight from an early age. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective study among overweight or obese children evaluated on an outpatient basis in the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology of a tertiary care hospital in Bucharest Romania in 2021 in order to identify laboratory changes occurring according to age and sex. Results: A total of 268 children were included in the analysis, with a median age of 10.9 years (IQR: 8.3, 13.3 years); 61.8% were obese and 38.2% overweight. We identified a subclinical pro-inflammatory status characterized by increased neutrophil count (12.7%) and increased C-reactive protein (16.4%). Biochemically, we identified the highest increases for uric acid (35.4%). More than half of the children included in the study had dyslipidemia-specific changes: high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (50.0%), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) (58.9%) and increased triglyceride levels (12.7%), especially children with a body mass-index (BMI) percentile above 95%. Increased thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was identified in 20.3% and low thyroxine (T4) level in 13.4%, especially in females. Conclusions: Early measures to control excess body weight are needed since preventing obesity is easier than treating it. However, this is often difficult to do in our country because parents frequently do not recognize the problem until it is advanced. Furthermore, doctors are not always adequately prepared and sometimes they do not have the support of the health systems to provide children in need with the adequate care. Educational strategies and awareness of issue should be revisited in current post-pandemic context that facilitates increase of obesity prevalence in children. Increase of efficient communication could be achieved by pointing to these objective findings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laboratory Findings in Children with Excess Body Weight in Romania

et al. 2023

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“…73 Among children, the presence of adiposity does not appear to significantly alter the specific antibody response, and vaccine efficacy is similar to that among children of normal weight for age. 74,75…”

Section: Dovepressmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Obesity on the Host–Pathogen Interaction with Influenza Viruses – Novel Insights: Narrative Review

Miron,

Drăgănescu,

Pițigoi

et al. 2024

DMSO

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After exposure to a viral pathogen, the host-pathogen interaction is essential to determine whether or not infection will ensue, and what the clinical outline of the infection will be. Recent research has shown that the patient with obesity presents a set of particular pathophysiological changes that lead to higher severity of viral infections, and this is particularly true for infection with influenza viruses. Herein, we describe the main metabolic, endocrine, and immune dysregulations that occur in the presence of obesity and their impact on driving intra-host viral diversity, leading to heightened severity and virulence of influenza. We show that obesity is linked to modified responses of both the innate and adaptive immune systems during viral infections, including influenza. Due to chronic inflammation and metabolic, endocrine, and signaling pathway disruptions, individuals with obesity have a suboptimal immune response. This results in longer illness duration, increased virus shedding, higher risk of hospitalization and complications, and greater mortality rates. Additionally, they may have a blunted response to vaccination and a higher likelihood of genetic mutation selection. Understanding the intricate interplay between obesity and viral pathogenesis is crucial for developing efficacious therapeutic approaches and public health policies, particularly in light of the escalating worldwide incidence of obesity.

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