Background: Adipokines are involved in the regulation of many inflammatory processes and are present at very high concentrations in cord blood of term infants.
Objective: We analysed data of a large prospective birth cohort study to examine whether adiponectin and leptin concentration in cord blood are determinants of wheezing disorders in children within the first 2 years of life.
Methods: Seven hundred and forty mothers and their newborns were included in this analysis. Adiponectin and leptin concentrations were measured in cord blood. The cumulative incidence of physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis was recorded during a 2-year follow-up.
Results: During the first 2 years of life, asthma or obstructive bronchitis was reported by the caring paediatricians for 157 (19.6%) of the children. We found a strong interaction of cord blood adiponectin and history of atopic disease in the mother with respect to the risk of physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis (P=0.006). Compared with children with cord blood levels in the middle quintile (reference category), the odds ratios for physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis in the bottom quintile and top quintile were 0.14 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.90] and 2.12 (95% CI 0.67-6.66), respectively (P for trend=0.0003), among children of mothers with a history of atopy. This association was independent of other established risk factors. Leptin levels in cord blood were not associated with risk of asthma or obstructive bronchitis.
Conclusions: In children of mothers with a history of atopy, concentrations of adiponectin in cord blood could play an important role in determining risk of wheezing disorders in early childhood.