Key result
Lower-body SAT harbors more T-cells in females, while upper-body SAT concentrates proinflammatory macrophages across sexes.
Why the study?
The inflammatory environment in lower-body subcutaneous adipose tissue in young adults with obesity has been largely unexplored, particularly regarding regional and sex differences in immune cell profiles.
Cross-Sectional
In young adults with obesity, T-cell populations vary by subcutaneous adipose tissue region in females but not males, while both sexes exhibit more proinflammatory macrophages in upper-body adipose tissue.
Sex differences in lower-body SAT immune profiles may shape obesity inflammation; hypothesis-generating and requires validation before clinical translation.
OBJECTIVE: The inflammatory environment in lower-body subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) has been largely unexplored. This study aimed to examine the effects of region (upper body vs. lower body) and sex on SAT immune cell profiles in young adults with obesity. METHODS: ) with obesity via needle aspiration. Flow cytometry was used to quantify macrophage (CD68+) and T-cell (CD3+) subpopulations in the stromovascular fraction of each SAT region. RESULTS: Females had a greater proportion of most T-cell types (CD3+CD4+CD45RA+, CD3+CD4+CD45RA-, and CD3+CD8+CD45RA+) in FEM compared with AB SAT, while males had similar proportions in both regions. Regardless of sex, the M1-like macrophage population (CD68+CD206-) was proportionally higher in AB SAT than in FEM SAT. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that T-cell populations vary by SAT region in females but not males. Both sexes, however, have proportionately more proinflammatory macrophages in upper-body than in lower-body SAT. It remains to be seen how these unique immune cell profiles in males and females with obesity contribute to adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic disease risk.
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Murphy et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in Obesity. Subcutaneous adipose tissue region (upper body vs. lower body) and sex vs. Upper body vs. lower body; males vs. females was evaluated on Macrophage (CD68+) and T-cell (CD3+) subpopulations in the stromovascular fraction of each SAT region. Females had a greater proportion of most T-cell types in lower-body compared with upper-body subcutaneous adipose tissue, whereas both sexes had more proinflammatory macrophages in upper-body tissue.
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