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Review
. 2017 Jul 14;6(7):68.
doi: 10.3390/jcm6070068.

Pathogenic Role of IL-17-Producing Immune Cells in Obesity, and Related Inflammatory Diseases

Marwa Chehimi  1 , Hubert Vidal  2 , Assia Eljaafari  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Pathogenic Role of IL-17-Producing Immune Cells in Obesity, and Related Inflammatory Diseases

Marwa Chehimi et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Obesity is associated with low-grade chronic inflammation. Indeed, adipose tissues (AT) in obese individuals are the former site of progressive infiltration by pro-inflammatory immune cells, which together with increased inflammatory adipokine secretion induce adipocyte insulin resistance. IL-17-producing T (Th17) cells are part of obese AT infiltrating cells, and are likely to be promoted by adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells, as previously reported by our team. Whereas Th17 cell are physiologically implicated in the neutralization of fungal and bacterial pathogens through activation of neutrophils, they may also play a pivotal role in the onset and/or progression of chronic inflammatory diseases, or cancer, in which obesity is recognized as a risk factor. In this review, we will highlight the pathogenic role of IL-17A producing cells in the mechanisms leading to inflammation in obesity and to progression of obesity-related inflammatory diseases.

Keywords: IL-17-producing T (IL-17) cells; adipose-derived-stem-cells; immuno-metabolism; inflammatory diseases; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pro-inflammatory M1 adipose tissue macrophages (ATM) promote IL-17-secreting CD4+ Th17 cells in obese adipose tissue (AT). Obese M1 ATM secrete high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-23, and IL-15, which are involved in the promotion and maintenance of Th17 cells. Th17 cells can be either induced from naive IL-23R− CD4+ T cells in response to IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-15 or resting IL-23R+ Th17 cells in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines plus IL-23. Interestingly, CD14+ M1 can induce maturation of infiltrating dendritic cells (DC) when stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or free-fatty acids (FFA). Mature DC, can lead to Th17 cell skewing, through secretion of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-23, in obese AT.
Figure 2
Figure 2
IL-17-secreting cells in obesity related pathologies. A variety of IL-17-secreting cells is implicated in obesity and/or related-inflammatory diseases. Whereas obesity-induced dysbiosis is associated with a decrease in gut Th17 cells, Th17 cell frequency is enhanced in peripheral blood, and metabolic organs, such as liver, pancreas, or adipose tissues, in obesity and/or related-inflammatory diseases.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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