Adipokines as Biomarkers of Atopic Dermatitis in Adults

• Main Authors: Andrzej Kazimierz Jaworek, Jacek C. Szepietowski, Krystyna Szafraniec, Magdalena Jaworek, Przemysław Hałubiec, Anna Wojas-Pelc, Mieczysław Pokorski
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Subjects: adipokines; adiponectin; atopic dermatitis; biomarkers; eczema; pruritis
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/9/2858

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by chronic, relapsing, pruritic skin inflammation and does not have a well-understood pathogenesis. In this study, we addressed the contribution of adipokines to AD eczema based on the assessment of blood levels of adiponectin, resistin, leptin, lipocalin-2, and vaspin in adult non-obese patients suffering from chronic extrinsic childhood-onset AD. We investigated 49 AD patients with a median age of 37 years. The control group consisted of 30 age-matched healthy subjects. Adipokines were assessed in the serum by ELISA assays and the severity of AD with the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index. We found that adiponectin and resistin decreased and leptin appreciably increased in AD patients when compared to those in healthy subjects. Further, the levels of adiponectin and resistin were inversely related to the intensity of eczema. In conclusion, apart from the formerly investigated role of leptin in AD, this study points to adiponectin and resistin as the potential candidate adipokine biomarkers involved in shaping eczema intensity and severity, which may help predict disease exacerbations and enable the development of effective targeted therapeutic interventions.