Adiponectin and leptin levels in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A new method for BAL and serum assessment

Adipokines (APN) are mainly secreted by adipocytes, macrophages and various other cells, along with their role in the regulation and mediation of inflammatory responses. APN is almost exclusively synthesized by adipocytes and regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) that is involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, linked lung fibrosis. Leptin is involved in acute lung injury with a role in lung fibrogenesis. Little is known about the relationship between APN/leptin and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and the few studies available in the literature used ELISA to detect these lipid mediators. Our study is also the first to measure adipokines by the new multiplex assay and for the first time were performed in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from IPF patients. This preliminary study suggests that APN levels in serum could be useful for predicting the prognosis of IPF, as they are inversely correlated with DLco percentages and BMI. Moreover, this first analysis of APN in BAL from IPF patients by a new method demonstrated an inverse correlation between these levels and BMI values and a direct correlation with eosinophil percentages, both of which are negative prognostic factors of IPF.