Levels of Serum Resistin in Asthmatics as a Potential Marker of Systemic Inflammation and Disease State.

Study Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether serum resistin levels in asthmatics are elevated. We will recruit subjects from the allergy/immunology clinic with a prior diagnosis of moderate to severe persistent asthma in addition to subjects being seen for evaluation of drug allergies. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria below, subjects will be placed into a control and asthma group. Each subject will undergo one blood draw in the main lab at WHMC, and return a lavender top tube to the allergy/immunology clinic for the EIA resistin assay. The patient will then have a brief encounter with a physician to determine an up to date history of asthma symptoms prior to participating in the exhaled NO test. The entire subject encounter will take place with one clinic visit, and requires no follow up visits as part of the study. The greatest risk to each subject will be the blood draw, as the exhaled NO is a completely non-invasive test. Plasma from each subject will be stored in a -70° freezer for no more than one month. Samples will be analyzed for resistin levels using an EIA assay run monthly. Mean values from serum CRP, serum glucose, serum resistin, and exhaled NO will be compared using a students T-test.