Serum adiponectin levels in patients with pollen-induced allergic rhinitis.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Several studies have outlined a possible relationship between an increased body mass index and respiratory allergic diseases, such as asthma and rhinitis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum adiponectin levels in a cohort of patients with pollen-induced allergic rhinitis, enrolled outside the pollen season, and in a group of healthy controls. METHODS: The study included 41 patients with moderate-severe persistent allergic rhinitis due to a pollen allergy and 34 normal subjects. All subjects were prospectively and consecutively evaluated. A skin prick test and blood sampling for assessing serum adiponectin levels were performed in all subjects. RESULTS: The comparison between allergic patients and normal subjects, globally considered without gender distinction, showed slightly higher values in the allergic population. After analysing genders separately, allergic patients show significantly higher levels than normal males (p = 0.0134), whereas the comparison between allergic and normal females was not significant (p = 0.1419). In addition, in normal males adiponectin serum levels are significantly related with age (p = 0.0123). CONCLUSION: This preliminary study provides the first evidence of significantly higher adiponectin serum levels in male patients with pollen-induced allergic rhinitis as compared to normal male subjects.