title: Relationship of adipokines with immune response and lung function in obese asthmatic and non-asthmatic women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is a risk factor for asthma. Studies in mice suggest that the adipokines leptin and adiponectin affect asthmatic responses. The purpose of this study was to determine if adipokines associated with obesity are (1) altered in obese women with asthma compared to controls and (2) associated with increased cytokines and chemokines involved in allergic inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cross-sectional study of asthmatic and non-asthmatic obese premenopausal women. Participants answered questionnaires and performed lung function tests. Serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected for analysis of cytokines and adipokines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 22 asthmatic (mean body mass index 40.0 ± 5.1 kg/m(2)) and 20 non-asthmatic women (mean body mass index 41.3 ± 5.6 kg/m(2)) participated. We found no difference in serum adipokine concentrations between asthmatics and non-asthmatics. Serum adiponectin correlated positively with PBMC eotaxin (r(s) = 0.55, p = .0003) and RANTES (regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed, and secreted) (r(s) = 0.36, p = .03), whereas serum leptin correlated negatively with PBMC eotaxin (r(s) = -0.34, p = .04). There was a negative correlation between serum adiponectin and PBMC interferon-γ (r(s) = -0.41, p = .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perturbations of adipokines that occur in obesity were correlated with decreased cytokine production typically associated with allergic responses in PBMC of obese premenopausal women. This study suggests that although obese asthmatics may have elements of Th2-mediated inflammation, adipokine derangements in obesity are associated with Th1 rather than Th2 bias. Obesity has complex effects on allergic inflammation and is likely to be important modifier of the pathogenesis of airway disease in asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA . anne.dixon@vtmednet.org
authors.forename: Anne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Laurianne V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Griffes
authors.forename: Danielle M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.forename: Ramona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramdeo
authors.forename: Avigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soloveichik
authors.forename: Benjamin T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Suratt
authors.forename: Rubin I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D020738:Leptin