The following is a summary of “Inflammation and Metabolism of Influenza-Stimulated Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells From Adults With Obesity Following Bariatric Surgery,” published in the January 2023 issue of Infectious Diseases by Green, et al.
The immune system’s response to the flu is dysregulated by obesity. Determining treatment strategies that lessened the effects of increasing adiposity and researching how fat lowers immunity were therefore urgently needed. Modifications in cellular metabolism were one method through which obesity might affect immunological responses.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from obese people were compared to lean controls for their ability to induce inflammation and alter cellular metabolism. Additionally, researchers looked at whether short-term weight reduction after bariatric surgery might reverse any abnormalities in PBMC metabolism.
Inflammation across the body and inadequate inflammation resolution were linked to obesity. In comparison to PBMCs from lean controls, obese subjects’ PBMCs produced less adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and had worse oxidative metabolism. Ex vivo stimulation with A/Cal/7/2009 H1N1 influenza resulted in a significant rise in IL-6 with obesity, according to PBMC secretome studies. However, indicators of inflammation resolution, PBMC metabolism, or the PBMC secretome were not improved by short-term weight loss by bariatric surgery.
The findings demonstrated that obesity is a hallmark of poor PBMC metabolism, which may arise from ongoing inflammation. Despite improvements in markers of systemic metabolism, PBMC metabolism was not reversed following temporary weight reduction.
Reference: academic.oup.com/jid/article-abstract/227/1/92/6670556?redirectedFrom=fulltext