Assessment of adiponectin as a marker for severity of pulmonary tuberculosis

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the serum levels of adiponectin in patients with both active and old pulmonary Tuberculosis [TB] and their possible relation with the severity of the disease, forty patients of both sexes suffering from pulmonary TB [20 cases active and 20 cases old] were matched with 20 healthy control volunteers in this study from February 2014 to June 2014. Body mass index [BMI] and serum levels of adiponectin were measured in all subjects. Both BMI and serum levels of adiponectin were significantly different between active TB patients and control. Comparing old TB patients with controls also have the same results. No correlation between BMI and serum adiponectin level in old TB patients was found, while adiponectin levels in active TB patients show a significant negative correlation. Increased adiponectin in serum of TB patients may be a promising marker for severity of the disease independent of BMI