RESUMO
Childhood obesity is an emerging global public health challenge. That is because the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents has increased greatly in all parts of the world. A number of studies have reported an inverse relation between respiratory function and various indices of obesity or fat distribution [El-Baz et al., 2009]. Adiponectin, an antiinflammatory adipocytokine, circulates at lower levels in the obese, which is thought to contribute to obesity-related inflammatory disease as bronchial asthma [Medoff et al., 2009]. The aim of this work was to assess the correlation between the bronchial asthma, obesity, fat distribution and serum adiponectin in obese Egyptian children. The present study included a group of obese fifty [50] children [25 boys and 25 girls] without the co morbidities of the metabolic syndrome; aged 7-18 years, mean age [14.2 +/- 3.9]. Obesity without the co morbidities of the metabolic syndrome was defined as a BMI above the 85th percentiles according to BMI Charts of Egyptian Growth Charts for boys and girls from 2-21 years [2002]. They were compared to thirty [30] lean sex and age matched controls mean age [14.1 +/- 4.8] [15 boys and 15 girls] with BMI between the 10[th] and 75[th] percentile. Anthropometric measurements [body weight, BMI, WC and fat mass% by DEXA] were done for all children together with pulmonary function test and assessment of serum adiponectin levels. Weight, Waist circumference [WC], Body mass index [BMI], fat mass% and adiponectin were significant higher in obese compared to non obese groups [p<0.001 for all]. Parameters of pulmonary function was significant lower in obese compared to non obese groups as regard forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1], peak expiratory flow maximum [PEF] and forced midexpiratory flow 25%[FEF25%] [p<0.01 for all]. while no significant difference was found between both groups as regard FEV1/FVC ratio and forced midexpiratory flow rate[FEF25-75%][p>0.05 for both]. A negative association of BMI with parameters of pulmonary function was found but only FEV1, FVC and FEF 25% were statistically significant [p<0.01 for all]. As regard WC it was negatively correlated with FEV1, FVC and FEF 25% [p<0.01 for all] but no correlation was found with other parameters of pulmonary functions [p>0.05]. In the present study a negative correlation was found between fat mass% and parameters of pulmonary function but none of them was statistically significant [p>0.05 for all]. A negative significant correlation was found between adiponectin and age in obese group [p>0.05] .As regard anthropometric parameters in obese group a significant negative correlation was found between adiponectin and BMI, WC and fat mass% [p<0.01 for all] while no correlation was found with body weight [p>0.05]. As regard of pulmonary function parameters a negative significant correlation was found between serum adiponectin and FVC and PEF% [p<0.01 for both] while a negative correlation was found between adiponectin and FEF 25% but this correlation was statistically insignificant [p>0.05], While no correlation was found with FEV1/FVC ratio [p>0.05]. The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among Egyptian children may be an important contributor to the increasing incidence and prevalence of asthma. Adiponectin may be one of the signals linking obesity with asthma