Correlation of the leucocyte count with traditional and non-traditional components of metabolic syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate correlation of the white blood cell (WBC) and its subtype count with the traditional and non-traditional components of the metabolic syndrome.

METHODS: Between January 2012 and December 2013, 18,222 people were enrolled in this study. The height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure were measured, and blood samples were tested for all subjects after an overnight fast. The count of WBC and its subtypes, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein, aminotransferases, fibrinogen, uric acid, and fasting blood glucose were all assessed.

RESULTS: Metabolic syndrome was found in 2502 of 18,222 healthy Chinese people (16.41%). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 22.61% for men significantly (P < 0.05) greater than for women (6.83%). The prevalence of obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia was significantly (P < 0.001) higher in people with than without metabolic syndrome. With increase of the WBC count, BMI, systolic and diastolic pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, glutamyltranspetidase, blood urea nitrogen fibrinogen and uric acid all went up significantly (P < 0.001) while HDL decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The creatinine remained relatively sTable After adjustment of age, sex, alcoholic drinking and education, the metabolic components of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia rose significantly (P < 0.05) positively with increased counts of the total WBC, neutrophil and lymphocyte, and the WBC and its subtypes were an independent risk factor for metabolic syndrome.

CONCLUSION: Aminotransferases, fibrinogen and uric acid all significantly increase with increased WBC count in a dose-dependent manner. Increased counts of the total WBC and its subtypes are positively associated with presence of metabolic syndrome.