Plasma adiponectin levels and relations with cytokines in children with acute rheumatic fever.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the role of adiponectin in acute rheumatic fever by evaluating correlations with cytokines and acute-phase reactants.

METHODS

Patients were divided into three groups by clinical findings. Group 1 included 8 patients with only chorea, Group 2 included 13 patients with arthritis and carditis, and Group 3 included 12 patients with only carditis. A total of 54 age- and gender-matched children were enrolled in the control group. Blood samples were drawn for analysing acute-phase reactants, adiponectin, tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-8 levels at baseline on Days 2, 5, 10, and 15, and at 8 weeks.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference between baseline age, gender, body mass index, serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein levels of the study and control groups (p>0.05). No correlation was found between baseline plasma adiponectin levels, age, body mass index, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone, oestradiol, total testosterone, and blood lipid levels of the study and control groups (p>0.05). We found that adiponectin and interleukin-6 levels increased, tumour necrosis factor-α levels decreased, and interleukin-8 levels remained unchanged in acute rheumatic fever, which is an inflammatory disease. Moreover, adiponectin level was higher and tumour necrosis factor-α level was lower in the improvement period in comparison with the acute period, particularly in the carditis group.

CONCLUSIONS

It was considered that, increasing throughout the treatment period, adiponectin may have anti-inflammatory effects in acute rheumatic fever. In addition, adiponectin levels are associated with a decline in inflammatory mediators in rheumatic fever.