High adenovirus 36 seroprevalence among a population of Hispanic American youth

Infection with adenovirus 36 (Ad36) has been associated with risk of obesity in youth in some studies, but the seroprevalence of this virus has not been examined among all populations. As Hispanic-American youth are of greater risk for obesity than other American youth, we sought to determine the proportion of Ad36 seropositive (Ad36+) students in an urban middle school serving a Hispanic population. We further examined if Ad36+ students were more likely to have obesity, and if Ad36 serostatus impacted changes in weight status following a health intervention. We determined body mass index (BMI) at the beginning and end of a 16-week health intervention among 40 Hispanic-American middle-school students. Ad36 serostatus was determined by enzyme-linked immunsorbent assay (ELISA). Seventy percent of the students were Ad36+. Ad36+ and Ad36 seronegative (Ad36-) did not differ before or after the intervention in body weight measures. The odds of being classified as obese was 1.4 times greater among Ad36+ than Ad36- at baseline, and 2.4 times greater post-intervention, but these were not statistically significant. We report a high seroprevalence of Ad36 among a population of Hispanic-American students. Ad36 seropositivity was associated with a trend for a greater likelihood of having obesity, but did not impact response to a health intervention.