Elevated Serum Adiponectin Level in Patients with <i>Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare</i> Complex Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Background: Patients with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) pulmonary disease often suffer from weight loss. Adipokines are factors secreted by adipocytes, including leptin and adiponectin, as well as some inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Body mass index (BMI) is known to be inversely correlated with adiponectin and positively with leptin, TNF-α, and IL-6. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the levels of serum adipokines, including adiponectin, leptin, TNF-α, and IL-6 in patients with MAC pulmonary disease. Methods: Forty consecutive patients with MAC pulmonary disease (8 males; median age 62 years; median BMI 18.1) were examined. Serum levels of adiponectin, leptin, TNF-α, and IL-6 were measured with ELISA. Age-, sex- and BMI-matched healthy subjects served as controls. Results: Serum adiponectin was significantly elevated in patients with MAC pulmonary disease compared with the controls (p < 0.01). In both the patients and controls, serum adiponectin levels were inversely correlated with BMI (p < 0.05). No significant correlation was observed between serum adiponectin levels and C-reactive protein or lung function. Serum leptin levels, which were positively correlated with BMI, did not differ between patients and controls. Serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly greater in patients with MAC pulmonary disease than in controls. The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were not correlated with BMI and other adipokines examined. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that, in patients with MAC pulmonary disease, adiponectin is inappropriately secreted and may play a role in the pathophysiology of the disease.

Patients with Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Disease Exhibit Unique Body and Immune Phenotypes

“…The typically inverse relationship between body fat and adiponectin was absent in the patients with pNTM ( Figure 1B). Our findings do not replicate the work of Tasaka and colleagues (24), who showed that although adiponectin was elevated and leptin was reduced in patients with pNTM, there was no difference in the slopes of the linear regression lines between the groups. This may be due to the fact that they found no difference in BMI between the two cohorts.…”

“…Reduced leptin levels in slender individuals may contribute to the increased susceptibility to TB (22,23). Tasaka and colleagues (24) found that patients with pNTM had 30% lower serum leptin as compared with healthy control subjects matched for age, gender, and BMI (24). Mouse studies show that leptin is a host-protective factor against M. tuberculosis and M. abscessus (25,26).…”

Changes in cholesterol level correlate with the course of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease

“…Adipocyte-derived adipokines and related inflammatory cytokines have been suggested to contribute to increased susceptibility to PNTM disease (26). Tasaka et al reported elevated adiponectin levels and reduced leptin levels in patients with PNTM disease compared with healthy controls (27). Leptin deficiency results in impaired innate and adaptive immune functions.…”

Sex Hormones Alter Th1 Responses and Enhance Granuloma Formation in the Lung

“…Nontuberculous mycobacterial disease is one of the infectious granulomatous diseases in the lung [2,3,4,5]. It is characterized by the formation of various degrees of granulomas.…”