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Review
. 2017 Jan 3;127(1):65-73.
doi: 10.1172/JCI88882. Epub 2017 Jan 3.

The initiation of metabolic inflammation in childhood obesity

Kanakadurga Singer, Carey N Lumeng
Review

The initiation of metabolic inflammation in childhood obesity

Kanakadurga Singer et al. J Clin Invest. .

Abstract

An understanding of the events that initiate metabolic inflammation (metainflammation) can support the identification of targets for preventing metabolic disease and its negative effects on health. There is ample evidence demonstrating that the initiating events in obesity-induced inflammation start early in childhood. This has significant implications on our understanding of how early life events in childhood influence adult disease. In this Review we frame the initiating events of metainflammation in the context of child development and discuss what this reveals about the mechanisms by which this unique form of chronic inflammation is initiated and sustained into adulthood.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The changing inflammatory environment in adipose tissue with obesity.
The progression from a lean to obese state leads to adipocyte expansion. The lean environment contains numerous leukocytes that play regulatory roles in maintaining low inflammatory tone in adipose tissue. These serve to buffer acute metabolic changes in adipose tissue nutrient storage and return the system to baseline. Chronic obesity leads to early events such as conventional T cell (Tconv) activation and neutrophil accumulation that enhance adipocyte damage and CLS formation. A high proinflammatory tone is triggered and maintained by signals from adipose tissue and the environment that drive HSC expansion and production of monocytes (Mo) and neutrophils from granulocyte/macrophage progenitors (GMPs). The net result is the sustained accumulation and activation of ATMs that potentiate continued adipose tissue dysfunction.
Figure 2
Figure 2. A developmental framework for the initiation of metainflammation.
Throughout the life-course there are multiple initiating events that can lead to the expansion of adipose tissue and systemic chronic inflammation. These include programmed inheritance (orange), environmental factors (green), intrinsic growth rates of the child (red), and adipose tissue metabolic impairments (purple).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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