Serum leptin and adiponectin levels correlate with severity of allergic rhinitis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the roles of leptin and adiponectin, which are adipokines produced by adipose tissue, in childhood allergic rhinitis (AR), and their association with severity of AR, parameters of atopy and pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines. Serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, mite allergen-specific and total immunoglobulin E, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were analysed in 97 non-asthmatic children presenting with persistent AR and in 64 controls. The nasal symptom scores and body mass index were evaluated at the time of blood collection. We found that patients had significantly higher serum levels of leptin and significantly lower serum levels of adiponectin than controls. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that leptin and adiponectin were significant predictive factors for AR. Serum levels of leptin and adiponectin were significantly correlated with nasal symptom scores. There was no correlation between levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and level of leptin or adiponectin. A significant negative correlation was observed between serum levels of adiponectin and ECP levels in AR children. Our findings suggest that serum leptin and adiponectin levels may serve as predictors of disease severity in childhood AR and both of them appear to be attractive candidates for unmasking or modulating AR.