Macrophage gene expression is related to obesity and the metabolic syndrome in human subcutaneous fat as well as in visceral fat
Abstract
Our goal was to identify a set of human adipose tissue macrophage (ATM)-specific markers and investigate whether their gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) as well as in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is related to obesity and to the occurrence of the metabolic syndrome. ATM-specific markers were identified by DNA microarray analysis of adipose tissue cell types isolated from SAT of lean and obese individuals.
We then analysed gene expression of these markers by reverse transcription quantitative PCR in paired samples of SAT and VAT from 53 women stratified into four groups (lean, overweight, obese and obese with the metabolic syndrome). Anthropometric measurements, euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp, blood analysis and computed tomography scans were performed.
A panel of 24 genes was selected as ATM-specific markers based on overexpression in ATM compared with other adipose tissue cell types.