Gonçalves Bárbara Peter, Silva Eduarda de Souza, Luçardo Josiane da Cunha, Fernandes Mayra Pacheco, Grokoski Kamila Castro, Vaz Juliana Dos Santos, Valle Sandra Costa
Program of Graduate Studies in Epidemiology - Federal University of Pelotas.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Nutrição e Alimentos. Faculdade de Nutrição. Universidade Federal de Pelotas.
Nutr Hosp. 2023 Dec 14;40(6):1136-1143. doi: 10.20960/nh.04472.
Objective: to investigate the monocyte count and its association with nutritional status in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: a cross-sectional study carried out at a Neurodevelopmental Center in the south of Brazil, with 68 ASD patients aged 3 to 18 years. The number of monocytes (per mm3) was determined in blood samples. Nutritional status was defined as BMI-for-age according to WHO standards. The Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire and a standard questionnaire to collect sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were administered to caregivers. Comparisons between sociodemographic, clinical, and eating behavior variables were performed with parametric tests. Linear regression was used to test the association between nutritional status and monocyte count. Results: mean age was 8.6 ± 3.3 years, 79 % were males and 66 % were overweight. In the unadjusted regression overweight was associated with higher monocyte counts compared to those non-overweight (B: 64.0; 95 % CI, 13.9 to 114.1; β: 0.30, p = 0.01). This association remained significant after adjustment for the subscale of "emotional overeating" (B: 37.0; 95 % CI, 17.1 to 91.3; β: 0.29; p = 0.02). The variability in monocyte count attributed to overweight was 14 %. Conclusions: overweight is associated with a higher monocyte count in children and adolescents with ASD. Nutritional intervention to control overweight is essential to mitigate the negative impact on inflammatory activity and immune dysfunction in these patients.
探讨自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童及青少年的单核细胞计数及其与营养状况的关联。方法：在巴西南部的一个神经发育中心开展了一项横断面研究，纳入68例3至18岁的ASD患者。测定血样中的单核细胞数量（每立方毫米）。根据世界卫生组织标准，将营养状况定义为年龄别体重指数（BMI）。向照料者发放儿童饮食行为问卷以及一份收集社会人口学和临床特征的标准问卷。采用参数检验对社会人口学、临床和饮食行为变量进行比较。使用线性回归检验营养状况与单核细胞计数之间的关联。结果：平均年龄为8.6±3.3岁，79%为男性，66%超重。在未校正的回归分析中，与非超重者相比，超重与更高的单核细胞计数相关（B：64.0；95%置信区间，13.9至114.1；β：0.30，p = 0.01）。在对“情绪性暴饮暴食”子量表进行校正后，这种关联仍然显著（B：37.0；95%置信区间，17.1至91.3；β：0.29；p = 0.02）。超重导致的单核细胞计数变异性为14%。结论：超重与ASD儿童及青少年较高的单核细胞计数相关。控制超重的营养干预对于减轻这些患者炎症活动和免疫功能障碍的负面影响至关重要。
