Obesity and childhood asthma in male schoolchildren in Saudi Arabia: Is there a role for leptin, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, and interleukin-21?

• Published in: Annals of Saudi medicine Vol. 39; no. 5; pp. 295 - 301
• Main Authors: Al-Ayed, Mohammed, Alshaybari, Khalid, Alshehri, Dhafer, Jamaan, Alzahrani, Nasser, Iman, Alaamri, Hamdan, Alaseeri, Wed, Mahfouz, Ahmed A, Ali Alsareli, Saeed, Asaad, Ahmed Morad, Ali Magzoub, Aamir, Qureshi, Mohamed Ansar, Shalayel, Mohammed Helmy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Saudi Arabia KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTRE 01.09.2019; King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre
• Subjects: Adolescent; Asthma; Asthma - blood; Asthma - epidemiology; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cytokines; Humans; Interleukin-4 - blood; Interleukin-5 - blood; Interleukins - blood; Leptin - blood; Male; Obesity; Original; Pediatric Obesity - blood; Pediatric Obesity - epidemiology; Saudi Arabia - epidemiology; Saudi Arabia; United States > US
• ISSN: 0256-4947; 0975-4466
• DOI: 10.5144/0256-4947.2019.295

Adiposity is associated with high serum levels of adipokines and chemokines which are possibly implicated in a co-existence of obesity and asthma. Elucidate the possible roles of leptin, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-21 in linking obesity with childhood asthma. Cross-sectional, analytical. Population of schoolchildren in a small Saudi city. The study included a representative sample of Saudi schoolchildren grouped as obese asthmatics, non-obese asthmatics, or obese nonasthmatics, with nonobese nonasthmatics as a control group. An asthma control test was done for the asthmatic groups. Serum levels of leptin, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-21. 345 male schoolchildren with a mean (SD) age of 13.0 (2.3) years. Median serum leptin concentrations in obese asthmatics were significantly higher than in nonobese asthmatics ( P<.001). Uncontrolled asthmatics also had significantly higher leptin levels than controlled asthmatic children ( P<.002). Leptin levels were weakly but significantly correlated with the cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-21. Leptin may contribute to a link between obesity and childhood asthma. Differences in IL-21 levels between nonobese and obese asthmatics suggest that the co-existence of asthma and obesity increased IL-21 levels. Leptin plus some proinflammatory cytokines especially IL-21 may be potential predictors for asthma control in children. Blood sampling at different stages of asthma might influence cytokine expression. None.