The expression of adiponectin receptor is altered in mild and moderate/severe persistent allergic nasal mucosa

Cardiovascular Adiponectin Resistance: The Critical Role of Adiponectin Receptor Modification

For the past two decades, a great deal of research has been published concerning adiponectin (APN), an abundant protein responsible for regulating numerous biologic functions including antioxidative, antinitrative, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective effects. A review of APN and its two major receptors is timely because of new findings concerning the mechanisms by which APN signaling may be altered in pathologic processes such as diabetes and heart failure. In this review we elaborate on currently known information regarding the physiologic role of APN and the known mechanisms underlying pathologic APN resistance - namely, APN receptor downregulation and phosphorylation - and provide insight regarding the future directions of APN research including an assessment of the clinical applicability of preventing pathologic post-translational modification of the APN receptor.

Assessing the relationship between serum resistin and nasal obstruction in children with allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND

Nasal obstruction has been reported as a "key symptom" of allergic rhinitis (AR) because it is deeply associated with impaired quality of life and it reflects more directly the allergic inflammation in the nasal mucosa. Resistin is known to be involved in inflammatory processes exerting an important role in the regulation of cytokine production even though its effective proinflammatory activity at nasal level has never been fully established. This study investigates the relationship between resistin levels and nasal obstruction assessed by an objective method such as active anterior rhinomanometry.

METHODS

Fifty-three children between 4 and 10 years of age affected by persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR) were enrolled and subdivided in two groups. Serum resistin levels were detected in all children. The same day patients underwent rhinomanometry, which was considered negative (no nasal obstruction) when the fraction of predicted values (p.v.'s) was between 71 and 100% and it was considered positive when the fraction of p.v. was ≤70%.

RESULTS

The serum resistin levels were significantly higher in children with moderate-severe PAR than in patients with mild PAR (p < 0.03). Furthermore, serum resistin levels were significantly higher in children with positive rhinomanometry compared with negative rhinomanometry (p < 0.03). The fraction of p.v.'s of nasal flows in patients with nasal obstruction had a significant negative correlation with serum resistin levels (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence that resistin levels are increased in children with severe nasal obstruction measured by an objective and quantitative approach.

Increased body mass index and bronchial impairment in allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND

Several studies have outlined a possible relationship between an increased body mass index (BMI) and respiratory allergic diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR). The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship among BMI, spirometry, bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR), and fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in a cohort of AR patients.

METHODS

The study included 155 patients with persistent AR alone and 155 healthy controls. All subjects were evaluated performing skin-prick test, spirometry, bronchoprovocation test with methacholine, and FeNO measurement.

RESULTS

BMI values were significantly higher in AR patients than in control subjects (p = 0.038). Overweight/obese AR patients had more altered functional and inflammatory parameters than normal weight patients. BMI > 25 is a risk factor for (i) early bronchial airflow limitation (odds ratio [OR], 3.81), (ii) high FeNO values (OR, 1.96), and BHR (OR, 3.29).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study may suggest that BMI assessment should be routinely considered in AR patients for assessing risk for early bronchial impairment, such as suggesting possible evolution to asthma.