Adiposity, serum lipid levels, and allergic sensitization in Chinese men and women

Background Obesity and allergic diseases have increased dramatically in recent decades. Although adiposity has been associated with asthma, associations with allergic sensitization have been inconsistent. Objective To examine the association of adiposity and lipid profiles with allergic sensitization. Methods This study included 1187 rural Chinese twins (653 men) age 18 to 39 years, with skin prick tests, anthropometric and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry–assessed adiposity measures, and lipid assessments. Allergic sensitization was defined as positive SPT to ≥1 allergen (9 foods and 5 aeroallergens tested). We applied sex-stratified generalized estimating equations to assess the association of adiposity and serum lipids with allergic sensitization, and structural equation models to estimate the genetic/environmental influences on any observed associations. Results Men had lower percent body fat (% BF) (13.9% vs. 28.8%) but higher rates of allergic sensitization (56.2% vs 36.7%) than women. Men in the highest %BF quartile were 2.1 times more likely to be sensitized than the lowest quartile (95% CI, 1.3-3.5; P trend = .003). In men, the risk of allergic sensitization increased with high-density lipoprotein (HDL)