Role of Adipokines and Hormones of Obesity in Childhood Asthma

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of leptin, ghrelin, and adiponectin in obese and non-obese children with asthma and in healthy non-asthmatic children, and analyze their relationships with clinical outcomes. METHODS: This study enrolled 40 obese and 51 non-obese children with asthma and 20 healthy children. Body mass index and serum leptin, ghrelin, and adiponectin levels were determined in all children. Asthma symptom scores and lung function test results were recorded for subjects with asthma. RESULTS: Serum leptin levels (11.8+/-7.9, 5.3+/-6.8, and 2.1+/-2.4 ng/mL in the obese asthmatic, non-obese asthmatic, and control groups, respectively) and adiponectin levels (12,586.2+/-3,724.1; 18,089.3+/-6,452.3; and 20,297.5+/-3,680.7 ng/mL, respectively) differed significantly among the groups (P<0.001 for all). Mean ghrelin levels were 196.1+/-96.8 and 311.9+/-352.8 pg/mL in the obese and non-obese asthmatic groups, respectively, and 348.8+/-146.4 pg/mL in the control group (P=0.001). The asthma symptom score was significantly higher in the obese children with asthma than in the non-obese children with asthma (P<0.001). Leptin and adiponectin levels were correlated with the asthma symptom score in non-obese children with asthma (r=0.34 and r=-0.62, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity leads to more severe asthma symptoms in children. Moreover, leptin, adiponectin, and ghrelin may play important roles in the inflammatory pathogenesis of asthma and obesity co-morbidity.

Is genetic screening necessary for determining the possibility of venous Thromboembolism in Cancer patients?

To determine the risk of an association with some genetic polymorphisms involved in venous thromboembolism [VTE] gene variations [FVL, FV H1299R, FII G20210A, MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C, PAI-1 4G/5G, beta-fbrinogen -455 G - A, FXIII Val34Leu and GpIIIa HPA-1a] in cancer patients. Among 78 cancer patients, 28 who had proven first episode of VTE were selected as the patient group, with 50 control samples selected from age-, sex- and body mass index-matched healthy volunteers [healthy group]. The differences in frequency of genetic polymorphisms were found to be statistically insignificant between these two groups. Logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age, sex, smoking and hypertension showed no difference. The screened mutations of these genes were not significantly associated with VTE risk. There is no possible benefit from genetic screening tests regarding VTE in cancer patients