Human obesity relationship with Ad36 adenovirus and insulin resistance

Abstract

Objectives: Infection with specific pathogens may lead to increased adiposity: a specific adiposity-promoting effect of Ad36 human adenovirus, without the involvement of neurological mechanisms, was reported. The aim of this study is to investigate whether non-diabetic patients with earlier Ad36 infection show greater degrees of overweight obesity, of Insulin Resistance (IR), assessed by homoeostasis-model assessment (HOMA), and/or of other related factors. Moreover, the relationship, if any, among these factors and an earlier Ad36 infection, and the hypothesis of a mechanism involving IR are investigated. Subjects: Ad36 seropositivity is assessed in 68 obese and 135 non-obese subjects, along with body composition, HOMA and laboratory investigations. Results: Age, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio, blood pressure, insulin, HOMA and triglycerides are significantly greater in the Ad36 seropositive group. Ad36 seropositivity, along with HOMA and total cholesterol, explains BMI variance. No Ad36 seropositivity effect to HOMA could be envisaged by the same statistical model. Conclusion: A significant association of Ad36 seropositivity with obesity and with essential hypertension in human beings is suggested by our study; this association is mostly significant in women. Our results do not support that any Ad36 adipogenic adenovirus effect is operating in human obesity through an insulin-resistance-related mechanism. Ad36 seropositive status could also be a hallmark of a clinical-metabolic profile possibly preceding obesity and diabetes in non-obese patients.

Association of human adenovirus-36 in overweight Korean adults

“…8 Using Korean children and adolescents, we like Atkinson et al 7,13 found a strong relationship between Ad-36 antibody positive status and obesity. However, this relationship became statistically non-significant when other lipid variables such as TC and TG were included in the analysis.…”

“…Atkinson et al 7 also found that the body mass index (BMI) z-score was significantly higher in Ad-36-infected Korean children compared with uninfected controls, suggesting that human Ad-36 has a role in obesity in Korean children. In consistent, Trovato et al 8 found a significant association between Ad-36 seropositivity and obesity in the Italian population. A cross-sectional study of 8-18-year olds in the USA also showed a clear association between Ad-36 seropositivity and obesity and body weight.…”

Adenovirus-36 Seropositivity Enhances Effects of Nutritional Intervention on Obesity, Bright Liver, and Insulin Resistance

“…Viruses, cells cultures, and serum neutralization assay methods were previously described and reported [36,43]. Ad36 seropositivity is defined by the concordance of three consecutive positive Ad-36 serum neutralization assays performed 1 week apart at the beginning of the study.…”

“…The worldwide nearly simultaneous manifestations of obesity can be explained by changes in food intake and exercise, but a contribution of infectious factors is plausible [35]. The association of Ad36 seropositivity with obesity is confirmed in adults [36] and in children [37][38][39]. Moreover, Ad36 seropositive status (Ad36?)…”

“…Moreover, Ad36 seropositive status (Ad36?) could be a hallmark of a clinical-metabolic profile, possibly preceding obesity and diabetes in non-obese patients [36].…”