Cross-sectional study demonstrates impaired low-density neutrophil phagocytosis and NETosis in obesity, suggesting a mechanism for heightened infection severity.
Key Points
To evaluate whether low-density neutrophil (LDN) counts are elevated in individuals with obesity and to assess their microbicidal phenotype and function.
Isolated LDNs and conventional neutrophils from blood samples of individuals with normal weight and individuals with obesity.
Assessed microbicidal functional properties, including respiratory burst, antibody-mediated phagocytosis, and NETosis.
Quantified FcγRIIa receptor surface expression and tested the capacity of LDNs to suppress T-cell proliferation.
Circulating LDN counts were elevated in individuals with obesity compared to normal-weight controls.
LDNs from individuals with obesity exhibited impaired antibody-mediated phagocytosis and reduced NETosis alongside lower expression of the phagocytic receptor FcγRIIa.
Neither normal-weight nor obesity-derived LDNs inhibited T-cell proliferation, contrasting with the immunosuppressive phenotypes observed in cancer.
Cite This Study
Blanco-Camarillo et al. (2026) studied this question.