Correlation between white blood cell count and metabolic syndrome in adolescence

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased risk for diabetes and coronary heart disease. Data suggest that MetS starts even in children. Thus, it is important to understand the role of MetS and the risks related to it. Furthermore, white blood cell count (WBCC) is available in routine examination and it has been proved to be related to risks of MetS. METHODS: A total of 1657 subjects aged 14-19 years were enrolled, with normal WBCC (< or =10 x 10(9) cells/L). The subjects were divided into four quartiles according to WBCC (WBCC1-4, from the lowest to highest WBCC) in both genders. RESULTS: The female subjects had significantly lower systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglyceride (TG), body mass index (BMI) and higher high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) than the male subjects. When comparing the risks of the quartiles of WBCC, WBCC4 had significant higher BMI than WBCC1 and WBCC2 in both genders; and lower HDL-C than WBCC3 in male subjects. On multiple regression WBCC was positively related with BMI and TG and negatively related to HDL-C in male subjects. In female subjects only BMI was positively correlated with WBCC. Subjects with MetS did not have significant higher WBCC than those without MetS. CONCLUSIONS: In adolescents with normal WBCC, BMI is significantly related to the levels of WBCC and is the earliest component of MetS to be noted in adolescents. Elevated TG and decreased HDL-C could also be important markers for future risk factors only in male subjects.