title: The relationship between adiponectin levels and epicardial adipose tissue thickness in non-obese children with asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is an association between adiponectin (APN) and asthma. However, the mechanisms underlying this association is unclear. APN is a predominantly anti-inflammatory protein with possible signalling activity in the lung that can be secreted by Epicardial Adipose Tissue (EAT). Our hypothesis is that serum APN levels may be directly and simply related to the amount of EAT accumulation, particularly when it is expressed as thickness in children with asthma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum adiponectin (APN) and epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATT) have an effect in non-obese children with asthma and in healthy non-asthmatic children, and analyze their relationships with clinical outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  68 children diagnosed with asthma (20 girls/48 boys) who had applied at the pediatric allergy and clinical immunology clinic of the hospital were included in this cross-sectional, observational study. The age-matched control group included 39 healthy children (18 girls/21 boys). EATT was measured by transthoracic echocardiography. The serum APN levels were also checked. Statistical analysis was performed by using independent sample t-test and Spearman correlation analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the asthma group was 10.2 ± 2.7 years, and the average EATT was found to be 5.1 ± 0.1 mm. The mean age of the control group was 10.5 ± 2.8 years, and the average EATT was found to be 5.1 ± 0.7 mm. The EATT of the asthma group was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.001) in study group. In the asthma group the APN was 10.0 ± 5.3 mg/L, and in the control group the APN was 15.8 ± 10.5 mg/L (p < 0.001). We found that APN was significantly negatively correlated with EATT (r = -0.266, p = 0.006) in asthma and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EATT is associated with non-obese asthmatic children. High EATT may be related with high release of pro-inflammatory cytokine and low release of APN. Low levels of APN may be related to low anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, high EATT and low levels of APN may indicate pro-inflammantory profiles in non-obese asthmatic children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Gaziosmanpasa Taksim Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozde
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dogru
authors.forename: Firat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Erdogan
authors.forename: Ilke Ozahi
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Ipek
authors.forename: Sukriye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozde
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karakaya
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin