Serological data analyses show that adenovirus 36 infection is associated with obesity: a meta-analysis involving 5739 subjects.

Objective Serological studies on the relationship between adenovirus 36 (Ad36) and an increased risk of obesity development have shown conflicting results. We reviewed the published studies and carried out a meta-analysis to explore this relationship. Methods PubMed was searched until December 2012 for the relative references with sufficient information to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 11 case-control studies, including 2508 obese subjects and 3005 controls, were selected. Results Compared with nonobese controls, Ad36 infection significantly increased the obesity risk by a pooled OR of 1.60 (95% CI = 1.14-2.25; P < 0.01). Meta-regression showed that the types of subject and obesity assessments were potential risk factors. In the subgroup analysis, a significantly increased risk was found in children (OR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.34-2.85; z = 3.45; P < 0.01) and those with an obesity assessment of BMI ≥ 30 kg/cm2 (OR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.15-3.10; P < 0.05). Conclusions Ad36 infection is associated with an increased risk of obesity development. To our knowledge, this is the first report to reveal the significant relationship in children with a serological data analysis.