Background: It has been hypothesized that obesity and disturbance in glucose metabolism can play an important role in the development of asthma. There is accumulating evidence in the literature that obesity can increase both the incidence and severity of asthma. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between adiponectin, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, and blood glucose levels in overweight and obese adult patients with asthma.

Materials and Methods: Forty-fine obese or overweight men (age 38-50 years) with mild-to-moderate asthma referred to Saveh health centers participated in this study. Fasting blood glucose, insulin, and adiponectin levels were measured. The homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) was applied to evaluate beta-cell function using fasting glucose and insulin levels. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results: The results of this study showed that there was a significant relationship between the serum adiponectin and FEV1/FVC, FEV1 and FVC in asthma patients. In addition, serum adiponectin level was positively correlated with insulin and beta-cell function, but negatively with fasting glucose level.

Conclusion: According to the results, there is a negative correlation between serum adiponectin levels and blood glucose concentration in adult asthmatic patients. Furthermore, our findings showed that the reduction of systemic adiponectin level influences blood glucose concentration via insulin level and beta-cell function.