Obesity and Inflammation: Evidence for an Elementary Lesion
Abstract
In obesity, an inflammatory process of the adipose tissue has been hypothesized; however, direct evidence for a tissue lesion is still lacking. Macrophage infiltration in the adipose tissue of obese individuals seems to be proven, but other alterations of the tissue have not been demonstrated. Moreover, in humans it has not been clarified whether inflammation is an early characteristic of obesity, because no data from obese children are available. In the present study, we assessed the inflammatory involvement of the adipose tissue and identified the elementary “inflammatory” lesion in a group of obese children. The study of children gives us the chance to investigate adipose tissue during early phases of obesity. In all the obese subjects, ultramicroscopic analysis of the adipose tissue demonstrated inflammatory involvement, and the extent of the lesions seemed to depend on the SD score of body mass index. The elementary lesion is a microgranuloma, with fragments of adipocytes, that evolves to fibrosis. Macrophages (and less frequently, lymphocytes or granulocytes) were found in perivascular positions. The lesions were not found in nonobese children. Our study proved that an “inflammatory” process exists in the adipose tissue of obese children, confirming previous findings in animals and obese adults and demonstrating that it is an early alteration in humans. However, the accumulation of macrophages was just one of the components of the inflammatory lesion, which also involved adipocyte degeneration, fibrosis, and, to a lesser extent, granulocyte/lymphocyte accumulation. The finding of fragments of adipocytes in the elementary lesion suggests that, at the beginning of the process, adipocytes may degenerate and that the materials generated by this process can recruit macrophages and other leukocytes. These preliminary results suggest that additional studies should be designed to clarify the cause of adipocyte fragility in obese children.
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Histological examination confirmed that the subcutaneous WAT of obese subjects had a significant increase of interstitial fibrosis, as suggested previously by a more limited assessment performed in obese children.
“Histological examination confirmed that the subcutaneous WAT of obese subjects had a significant increase of interstitial fibrosis, as suggested previously by a more limited assessment performed in obese children [55].”
From Adipose tissue transcriptomic signature highlights the pathological relevance of extracellular matrix in human obesity (2008) · cites this paper as [55]
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- Authors
- Sbarbati, A., Osculati, F., Silvagni, D., Benati, D., Galiè, M., Camoglio, F. S., Rigotti, G., & Maffeis, C.
- Affiliations
- Departments of Morphological-Biomedical Sciences, Human Anatomy and Histology Section
- Department of Mother and Child Biology-Genetics
- University of Verona (IT)
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (II Division), City Hospital, Verona, Italy
- Corresponding author
- Sbarbati, Andrea
- Venue
- Pediatrics
- Publisher
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
- Published
- 2006-01-01
- Volume
- 117
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 220-223
- ISSN
- 0031-4005 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-4275
- OpenAlex
- W2139215799
- Cited by
- 106
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 7.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- PEDIATRICS (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UnissResearch (Università degli Studi di Sassari) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Disease and Adiposity
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Keywords
- childhood obesity, adipose tissue inflammation, adipose tissue fibrosis, microgranulomas, macrophage infiltration, body mass index
- MeSH terms
- Adipose Tissue, Adolescent, Body Composition, Child, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Macrophages, Male, Obesity, Adipocytes
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