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Innate immune cells in the adipose tissue

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Abstract

Immune cells are present in the adipose tissue (AT) and regulate its function. Under lean conditions, immune cells predominantly of type 2 immunity, including eosinophils, M2-like anti-inflammatory macrophages and innate lymphoid cells 2, contribute to the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis within the AT. In the course of obesity, pro-inflammatory immune cells, such as M1-like macrophages, prevail in the AT. Inflammation in the obese AT is associated with the development of metabolic complications such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Thus, the immune cell-adipocyte crosstalk in the AT is an important regulator of AT function and systemic metabolism. We discuss herein this crosstalk with a special focus on the role of innate immune cells in AT inflammation and metabolic homeostasis in obesity.

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Fig. 1: AT inflammation, obesity-related NAFLD and cardiovascular disease.
Fig. 2: Role of innate immune cells in promoting obesity-related AT inflammation and insulin resistance.

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Funding

Supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (FOR 2599 to AC and IRTG2251 to TC).

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  1. Triantafyllos Chavakis and Antonios Chatzigeorgiou contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of the Helmholtz Center Munich, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Kyoung-Jin Chung & Triantafyllos Chavakis

  2. German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Neuherberg, Germany

    Kyoung-Jin Chung & Triantafyllos Chavakis

  3. Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Kyoung-Jin Chung, Marina Nati, Triantafyllos Chavakis & Antonios Chatzigeorgiou

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  1. Kyoung-Jin Chung
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  2. Marina Nati
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  3. Triantafyllos Chavakis
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  4. Antonios Chatzigeorgiou
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Chung, KJ., Nati, M., Chavakis, T. et al. Innate immune cells in the adipose tissue. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 19, 283–292 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-018-9451-6

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