Table 1 Metabolic health, cardiovascular disease risk and immune function variables

Haematological profile

Analytical techniques

 Red blood cell, white blood cell, neutrophil,  lymphocyte, monocyte and platelet counts,  haemoglobin concentrations, haematocrit  and haematic indices

Automated haematology system (SF-300, Sysmex Ltd., Milton Keynes, UK)

Biochemical variables

Analytical techniques

 Triglycerides, total cholesterol, NEFA,  HDL-C, LDL-C, glucose

Automated analyser (Randox RX Daytona, Randox Laboratories, Co. Antrim, UK), in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions using commercially available immunoassays (Randox Laboratories, Co. Antrim, UK).

 Insulin

ELISA (Mercodia AB, Uppsala, Sweden)

Adipokines

Analytical techniques

 Leptin and adiponectin

ELISA (Quantikine HS, R&D Systems Inc., Abingdon, UK)

 Inflammation

Analytical techniques

 IL-6

ELISA (Quantikine HS, R&D Systems Inc., Abingdon, UK)

 CRP

Automated analyser (Randox RX Daytona, Randox Laboratories, Co. Antrim, UK),

Immune function

Analytical techniques

 T cell anti-viral IFN-γ production

Human IFN-γ ELISpot^BASIC (Mabtech, Nacka Strand, Sweden)