Lack of Serological and Molecular Association between Exposure and Obesity: A Case-Control Study.

The association between infection and obesity has been scantly studied. Through an age-, and gender-matched case-control study, we determined the association of infection and obesity using serological and molecular methods. Cases included 203 persons with obesity, and controls included 203 persons without obesity. Participants were tested for the presence of anti- IgG antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA). IgG seropositive individuals were further tested for the presence of anti- IgM antibodies using an EIA, and DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Anti- IgG antibodies were found in 16 (7.9%) of the 203 cases and in 18 (8.9%) of the 203 controls (OR=0.87; 95% CI: 0.43-1.77; =0.72). One (6.3%) of the 16 anti- IgG seropositive cases and 6 (33.3%) of the 18 anti- IgG seropositive controls were positive for IgM (=0.09). Mean body mass index (35.5 ± 4.5) in seropositive cases was similar (=0.57) to that (36.1 ± 4.5) found in seronegative cases. Stratification by obesity classes (I, II, and III) did not reveal differences (>0.05) in seroprevalences (7.8%, 7.9%, and 8.1%, respectively) or high (>150 IU/ml) IgG antibody levels (3.3%, 3.9%, and 2.7%, respectively). PCR was positive in 5 (31.3%) of 16 cases, and in 5 (27.8%) of 18 controls examined (=1.0). We found no serological or molecular evidence of an association between infection and obesity in people attending a public health center in the northern Mexican city of Durango.