Resistin identifies individuals with reduced lung function in a healthy aging cohort.

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Resistin is a hormone secreted by adipose tissue cells and by macrophages. Growing evidence indicates that resistin is associated with several inflammatory diseases including atherosclerosis, arthritis, asthma, and interstitial lung abnormalities. This study aimed to examine whether the levels of this hormone are associated with the decreased lung function that we have found in some individuals of our healthy aging cohort that do not have structural disease by high resolution CT. <b>Methods:</b> We studied a randomly selected cohort (150 respiratory asymptomatic subjects) of our lung aging program without a history of lung disease; Sixteen subjects were excluded because they do not have serum samples in our biobank. Thus, serum levels of resistin were measured by ELISA in 134 subjects. Clinical and laboratory data were reviewed, and the cohort was divided into two groups, with or without altered pulmonary function tests at baseline. <b>Results:</b> 36 subjects showed reduced lung function, including decreased FVC and DLCO or desaturation on exercise. These individuals showed greater chronological and phenotypical age, but had no differences in gender, body mass index, history of metabolic syndrome, and C-reactive protein. Resistin level was higher in the group with reduced lung function (8±4 ng/ml versus 6±3 ng/ml, p=0.05). <b>Conclusions:</b> Resistin can identify respiratory asymptomatic subjects that display functional lung alterations even without a history of lung disease or tomographic structural changes.