TY - JOUR
T1 - Microbes and obesity-interrelationship between infection, adipose tissue and the immune system
AU - Hegde, V.
AU - Dhurandhar, N. V.
PY - 2013/4
Y1 - 2013/4
N2 - The world is currently experiencing an obesity epidemic as declared by the World Health Organization. The traditional view is that behaviour leading to overeating and under-activity is the major contributing factor for this worldwide epidemic. However, several microbes are linked to obesity in animals and humans. On the one hand, various microbes, including animal and human viruses, bacteria, parasites and scrapie agents, increase adiposity in several animal models. Some of these microbes show an association with human obesity, but conclusive evidence for a causative role of microbes in human obesity is lacking. On the other hand, obese individuals show an altered response to infections. Obesity is often associated with impaired immune function, which may lead to increased susceptibility to infection with a number of different pathogens. Hence, certain microbes appear to induce obesity, whereas, obesity itself may exacerbate certain other infections. Linking the two phenomenon is the immunological property of adipocytes and their progenitors. For instance, proliferating pre-adipocytes share embryonic origin with immune cells and exhibit phagocytic activity. Taken together it appears that there is a close interrelationship between adipose tissue, inflammatory response, immune system and infections. Hence, it is conceivable that in response to certain infections, adipose tissue expands similar to the expansion of cells of the immune system. The impaired immune function of adipose tissue in obesity may exacerbate infections. Considering the global obesity epidemic, it is necessary to further investigate both phenomena.
AB - The world is currently experiencing an obesity epidemic as declared by the World Health Organization. The traditional view is that behaviour leading to overeating and under-activity is the major contributing factor for this worldwide epidemic. However, several microbes are linked to obesity in animals and humans. On the one hand, various microbes, including animal and human viruses, bacteria, parasites and scrapie agents, increase adiposity in several animal models. Some of these microbes show an association with human obesity, but conclusive evidence for a causative role of microbes in human obesity is lacking. On the other hand, obese individuals show an altered response to infections. Obesity is often associated with impaired immune function, which may lead to increased susceptibility to infection with a number of different pathogens. Hence, certain microbes appear to induce obesity, whereas, obesity itself may exacerbate certain other infections. Linking the two phenomenon is the immunological property of adipocytes and their progenitors. For instance, proliferating pre-adipocytes share embryonic origin with immune cells and exhibit phagocytic activity. Taken together it appears that there is a close interrelationship between adipose tissue, inflammatory response, immune system and infections. Hence, it is conceivable that in response to certain infections, adipose tissue expands similar to the expansion of cells of the immune system. The impaired immune function of adipose tissue in obesity may exacerbate infections. Considering the global obesity epidemic, it is necessary to further investigate both phenomena.
KW - Immune response
KW - Infection
KW - Microbes
KW - Obesity
KW - Virus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84875501206&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1469-0691.12157
DO - 10.1111/1469-0691.12157
M3 - Review article
C2 - 23506525
AN - SCOPUS:84875501206
SN - 1198-743X
VL - 19
SP - 314
EP - 320
JO - Clinical Microbiology and Infection
JF - Clinical Microbiology and Infection
IS - 4
ER -