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Obesity, adipokines and asthma.
T Jartti1, L Saarikoski, L Jartti
1The Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, PO Box 52, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland.
Allergy
|February 13, 2009
Summary
Obesity is linked to adult-onset asthma, but not childhood asthma. This study found no evidence that leptin or adiponectin explain the obesity-asthma connection in adults.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Rising rates of asthma and obesity highlight the need to understand their complex relationship.
- The specific role of immunomodulatory adipokines, such as leptin and adiponectin, in overweight-associated asthma remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between obesity and asthma across three distinct life stages.
- To determine if leptin and adiponectin levels correlate with asthma in the context of overweight and obesity.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study analyzed asthma and obesity associations at ages 3-18, 9-24, and 24-39 years.
- Serum concentrations of leptin and adiponectin were measured and correlated with asthma status.
- Additional data on allergy, smoking, insulin, C-reactive protein, and lipids were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Allergy and parental asthma were significant predictors of asthma at all studied ages.
- In adulthood (24-39 years), higher body mass index (BMI) and female gender were independently associated with asthma.
- Increased BMI correlated with new-onset asthma during adulthood, but leptin, adiponectin, and other obesity biomarkers showed no independent association with asthma.
Conclusions:
- Asthma is associated with obesity in adults, independent of other factors studied.
- The immunomodulatory adipokines leptin and adiponectin, along with other studied obesity biomarkers, do not appear to mediate the link between obesity and asthma.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms connecting obesity and asthma.
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