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Role of T cells in malnutrition and obesity.
Abstract
Nutritional status is critically important for immune cell function. While obesity
is characterized by inflammation that promotes metabolic syndrome including cardiovascular
disease and insulin resistance, malnutrition can result in immune cell defects and
increased risk of mortality from infectious diseases. T cells play an important role
in the immune adaptation to both obesity and malnutrition. T cells in obesity have
been shown to have an early and critical role in inducing inflammation, accompanying
the accumulation of inflammatory macrophages in obese adipose tissue, which are known
to promote insulin resistance. How T cells are recruited to adipose tissue and activated
in obesity is a topic of considerable interest. Conversely, T cell number is decreased
in malnourished individuals, and T cells in the setting of malnutrition have decreased
effector function and proliferative capacity. The adipokine leptin, which is secreted
in proportion to adipocyte mass, may have a key role in mediating adipocyte-T cell
interactions in both obesity and malnutrition, and has been shown to promote effector
T cell function and metabolism while inhibiting regulatory T cell proliferation. Additionally,
key molecular signals are involved in T cell metabolic adaptation during nutrient
stress; among them, the metabolic regulator AMP kinase and the mammalian target of
rapamycin have critical roles in regulating T cell number, function, and metabolism.
In summary, understanding how T cell number and function are altered in obesity and
malnutrition will lead to better understanding of and treatment for diseases where
nutritional status determines clinical outcome.
Type
Journal articlePermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10312Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.3389/fimmu.2014.00379Publication Info
Gerriets, Valerie A; & MacIver, Nancie J (2014). Role of T cells in malnutrition and obesity. Front Immunol, 5. pp. 379. 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00379. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/10312.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Nancie Jo MacIver
Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics
My laboratory is broadly interested in how large changes in nutritional status (e.g.
malnutrition or obesity) influence T cell immunity. Malnutrition can lead to immunodeficiency
and increased risk of infection, whereas obesity is associated with inflammation that
promotes multiple diseases including autoimmunity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular
disease. We have identified the adipocyte-secreted hormone leptin as a critical link
between nutrition and immunity. Leptin is

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