RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have shown a relation between the white blood cell (WBC) count in peripheral blood samples and other cardiovascular risk factors in adult populations. The aim of this study was to investigate for the first time in children the relation between WBC count and patterns of atherogenic risk. METHODS: We studied a southern Italian cohort of 1,171 children (568 males, 603 females, mean age 10.8 +/- 0.06 years) from the fifth elementary classes in Salerno, Italy. This study is included in the screening of scholastic medicine. RESULTS: The WBC count was significantly associated with cholesterolemia (p < 0.03), systolic (p < 0.03) and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.02), and platelet count (p < 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated an independent, positive, and significant association of WBC count with the number of platelets, cholesterol levels and diastolic pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Even in children, there is a relation between the WBC count and other factors linked with the atherogenic risk. The meaning and the clinical importance of such an association remains to be cleared and it is thus premature to consider 11-year-old children as being at higher cardiovascular risk. An answer to this question might come from follow-up studies of our as well as of other similar cohorts.
