(16). Morbidly obese
asthma patients have a higher degree of insulin resistance
compared to morbidly obese non-asthma patients (2). Levels
of the vascular peptide endothelin-1 (ET-1) are significantly
elevated in obesity (12). Endothelins are proinflammatory,
profibrotic, broncho- and vasoconstrictive peptides which
play an important role in the development of airway inflammation
and remodeling in asthma (39).