B Lymphocytes and Adipose Tissue Inflammation

Abstract

The immune system plays an important role in obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation and the resultant metabolic dysfunction, which can lead to hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance and their downstream sequelae of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. While macrophages are the most abundant immune cell type in adipose tissue, other immune cells are also present, such as B cells, which play important roles in regulating adipose tissue inflammation. This brief review will overview B-cell subsets, describe their localization in various adipose depots and summarize our knowledge about the function of these B-cell subsets in regulating adipose tissue inflammation, obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction and atherosclerosis.

Keywords: B cells; adipose tissue; atherosclerosis; inflammation; insulin resistance; obesity.