Influence of overweight and obesity on maternal immunological, biochemical and hormonal parameters in mother-child relationship

• Grant number: 12/17843-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2012
• End date: November 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Carlos de Abreu
• Grantee: Luiz Carlos de Abreu
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Adenilda Cristina Honorio França ; Eduardo Luzía França

Abstract

The reduction of the immune response associated with overweight and obesity has been identified as a factor contributing to the increase of infections in these patients and may lead to chronic inflammatory processes.Inflammation is regulated locally and systemically by numerous biochemical signals. One of the most important mediators of these signals is a class of molecules called cytokines. On the basis of cytokine production T cells were initially classified into two populations: T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2) cytokine response patterns.In overweight and obesity there are controversies in relation to the balance between cytokine pattern of cellular activation of Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes. While some authors report a shift to the production of Th1 cytokines, others report increase of Th2. It is possible that the immunologic patterns associated with changes in metabolism resulting from overweight and obesity may influence, via blood and colostrum, the immune system development of the newborn and hence contribute to increased susceptibility to infections. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate the imunophenotyping of cells and the profiles of Th1, Th2, Th3 and Th17 cells in maternal blood and colostrum of mothers who are overweight, and verify the biochemical and hormonal parameters of blood and colostrum. (AU)