Serum Leptin Levels in Stable Asthmatic Patients and Relation Between Leptin and Severity of Asthma, and Obesity

Abstract

The incidence of asthma is increasing among obese people. It is thought that leptin may play a role in pathogenesis of obesity related asthma. We aimed to investigate the relation between serum leptin levels and obesity, and severity of asthma. Body mass index (BMI), serum leptin, THE-, IL-6 levels, and FEV1, FEV1 IFVC and PEF values of 30 stable asthmatic patients and 10 healthy controls were evaluated. There was no difference in BMI between asthmatic and control cases (p>0.05). Serum TNF-, IL-6, IL-2, leptin levels of asthmatic cases were higher than control cases (p=0.001, p=0.001, p=0.009, p=0.001 respectively). TNF-, IL 12, leptin levels of moderate persistent (MoP) (p=0.005, p=0.053, p=0.004 respectively) and severe persistent (SP) (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001 respectively) asthmatic cases were higher than controls. IL-6 levels of mild persistent (MP), MoP, SP asthmatic cases were higher than controls (p=0.023, p=0.001, p=0.008 respectively). TNF-, IL-12 and leptin levels were high in SP asthmatics compared with MP asthmatics (p=0.003, p=0.006, p=0.034 respectively). BMI of MoP and SP asthmatics were higher than MP asthmatics (for MoP p=0.022, for SP p=0.001), BMI of SP asthmatics were high when compared with controls (p=0.006). In asthmatics a positive correlation between leptin levels and BMI, TNF-, IL-12 ( R00.353, p=0.025, R=0.610, p=0.001, R= 0.492, p=0.001 respectively), and a negative correlation between BMI and FEV1, FEV1 IFVC, PEF values ( R=0.654, p=0.000, R=-0.522, p<0.003, R=-0.668, p=0.000, respectively) was found. Any correlation was not found between leptin levels and FEV1, FEV! IFVC, PEF values. Results of our study suggests that a relation can be present between asthma and obesity, and leptin can take part in asthma pathogenesis especially by increasing inflammation.