Obesity as an adipose tissue dysfunction disease and a risk factor for infections - Covid-19 as a case study
- PMID: 33858724
- PMCID: PMC8017564
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2021.03.031
Obesity as an adipose tissue dysfunction disease and a risk factor for infections - Covid-19 as a case study
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV2) disease (COVID-19) is a novel threat that hampers life expectancy especially in obese individuals. Though this association is clinically relevant, the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. SARS CoV2 enters host cells via the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 receptor, that is also expressed in adipose tissue. Moreover, adipose tissue is also a source of many proinflammatory mediators and adipokines that might enhance the characteristic COVID-19 cytokine storm due to a chronic low-grade inflammatory preconditioning. Further obesity-dependent thoracic mechanical constraints may also incise negatively into the prognosis of obese subjects with COVID-19. This review summarizes the current body of knowledge on the obesity-dependent circumstances triggering an increased risk for COVID-19 severity, and their clinical relevance.
Keywords: ARDS; Adipokines; Adiponectin; Bariatric surgery; COVID-19; Cytokine storm; Diabetes mellitus; Hypertension; Leptin; Mortality; Obesity; SARS-CoV-2.
Copyright © 2021 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Conflict of interest statement
None.
Figures




Comment in
-
Closing obesity care gaps and achieving health equity for people living with obesity.Eur J Intern Med. 2021 Sep;91:1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ejim.2021.06.016. Epub 2021 Jul 2. Eur J Intern Med. 2021. PMID: 34226117 No abstract available.
References
-
- Unamuno X., Gómez-Ambrosi J., Rodríguez A., Becerril S., Frühbeck G., Catalán V. Adipokine dysregulation and adipose tissue inflammation in human obesity. Eur J Clin Invest [Internet] 2018;48(9) http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/eci.12997 Sep 1 [cited 2018 Nov 8]e12997. Available from. - DOI - PubMed
-
- Pérez-Hernández A.I., Catalán V., Gómez-Ambrosi J., Rodríguez A., Frühbeck G. Vol. 5. Frontiers Research Foundation; 2014. Mechanisms linking excess adiposity and carcinogenesis promotion [Internet]. p. 65.www.frontiersin.org (Frontiers in Endocrinology). [cited 2021 Jan 5]Available from. - PMC - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous