title: Serum apelin-12 level is elevated in schoolchildren with atopic asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are limited data on the role of adipokines in atopic asthma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine serum level of apelin-12 (APE-12) in asthmatic children in relation to BMI and gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum APE-12 levels were measured using ELISA in 89 asthmatic children (61 boys and 28 girls, aged 7.0-17.0 years) and in 33 healthy children. Among examined asthmatics 59 (19 girls and 40 boys) had normal weight and 30 (9 girls and 21 boys) were obese.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum levels of APE-12 were significantly (p < 0.001) higher both in obese (174.1 ± 5.9 pg/mL) and non-obese asthmatic children (171.0 ± 4.0 pg/mL) than in healthy children (130.6 ± 2.1 pg/mL), regardless of gender. No relationships between examined the adipokine level and asthma severity, spirometric parameters, degree of allergic sensitization, BMI, BMI-SDS were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased serum level of APE-12 suggests that this adipokine may be implicated in the pathogenesis of childhood atopic asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Silesia, ul. 3-go Maja 13-15, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Machura
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ziora
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ziora
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Swiętochowska
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krakowczyk
authors.forename: Franciszek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Halkiewicz
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasperska-Zajac
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013147:Spirometry / Q000379:methods; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C495200:apelin-12 peptide