Evaluation of Interleukin-6, Leukotriene B-4, and Nitric Oxide Levels in Exhaled Breath Condensate of Asymptomatic Obese Individuals: Are Obese Patients Under Risk of Developing Asthma?

Abstract

Objective: If systemic inflammation in relation with obesity causes asthma, the detection of increased airwayinflammation among obese individuals who do not have any respiratory symptoms can be also beneficial inindentifying obese patients who are at risk of developing asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate thesystemic and airway inflammation of asymptomatic obese and non-obese individuals.Materials and Methods: Obese and non-obese individuals with no respiratory symptoms were included.Inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), exhaled breath condensate (EBC) interleukin-6(IL-6), EBC leukotriene B-4 (LTB-4), and EBC nitric oxide (NO) levels of obese and non-obese individualswere determined.Results: Forty-five obese individuals (body mass index [BMI]≥30) and 31 non-obese individuals (BMI≤25)as a control group were included in this study. The mean age of the obese group (38.7±11.4 years) wassignificantly higher than the one of the non-obese group (29.5±8.6 years; p