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Effect of Food Sensitivity on Overweight Assessed Using Food-Specific Serum Immunoglobulin G Levels

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Abstract

Food sensitivity is considered to be implicated in obesity via chronic inflammation. Obesity has become a global epidemic, and overweight is a gateway to obesity. Hence, understanding the effect of food sensitivity on overweight is important for public health. To examine the association between food sensitivity and overweight, we compared the levels of diverse serological IgGs (total IgG, food-specific IgG [sIgG], and total food-sIgG [the sum of food-sIgG]) between overweight and lean Korean adults. A total of 164 Koreans aged 19–29 years participated in the study. We collected serum samples, information on frequency of food consumption, and height and weight measures to calculate body mass index (BMI). Immunoassays were performed using protein microarrays to determine total IgG, food-sIgG for each of the 68 food antigens, and the total food-sIgG. Participants were classified as overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) or lean (BMI < 25 kg/m2). The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the decile scores of IgG values between the groups. The total IgG (P = 0.58) and total food-sIgG scores (P = 0.27) did not differ significantly between the groups, precluding chronic inflammation as the cause of overweight. However, in the overweight group, food-sIgG scores against dairy products and seafood were significantly higher (P < 0.05), whereas those against fruit and vegetables were significantly lower (P < 0.05). In overweight individuals, food-sIgG scores against milk were not associated with the actual consumption (P = 0.76), suggesting higher food-sIgG as an indicator of higher sensitivity than of higher consumption. Higher sensitivity to dairy foods and seafood and lower sensitivity to fruit and vegetables are likely associated with weight gain. Future studies are warranted to understand the heterogeneous associations between food-sIgGs and overweight.

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Acknowledgements

YK appreciates the financial support from the MSIP of Korea through the NRF (NRF-2017M3A9C6029322 and NRF-2019R1A2C1088407) and Dongguk University research fund of 2020. NK was supported by funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2018R1C1B6008822; NRF-2018R1A4A1022589).

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Author notes

  1. Minhyeong Lee, Hyeonmin Gil, and Eugene Cheon have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul, 04620, Korea

    Minhyeong Lee, Soyoun Kim, Jeahee Ryu, Chungwon Kang, Seungil Park & Youngeun Kwon

  2. Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul, 04620, Korea

    Hyeonmin Gil, Eugene Cheon, Hayoung Khil, Seokseong Kang & Nana Keum

  3. Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Nana Keum

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Lee, M., Gil, H., Cheon, E. et al. Effect of Food Sensitivity on Overweight Assessed Using Food-Specific Serum Immunoglobulin G Levels. BioChip J 15, 296–304 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13206-021-00028-x

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