The Relation between Bronchial Asthma, Body Fat Distribution and Serum Adiponectin in Obese

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). Aim of the work The aim of this work was to assess the correlation between the bronchial asthma, obesity, fat distribution and serum adiponectin in obese Egyptian children. Subjects and Methods The present study included a group of obese fifty (50) children (25 boys & 25 girls) without the comorbidities of the metabolic syndrome; aged 7-18 years, mean age 14.2±3.9. Obesity without the comorbidities 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 & 15 girls) with BMI between the 10th and 75th 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. Results 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 FEV1FVC 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 & 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 be