Obesity: does it modulate infectious disease and immunity?

Abstract

Obesity, high-fat diets, or excess lipids interact with infectious agents and immunocompetent cells in the following ways: Some infections and autoimmune diseases are enhanced in inbred mice. In man, surgical wound infections are increased; the risk of tubercular death is decreased; no data exist on the interaction of lipids and autoimmune disease. Certain fatty acids and cholesterol are potent modulators of T lymphocyte and phagocyte functions in laboratory animals and in leukocyte cultures. However, in humans, the modulation of immune function by dietary lipids is still uncertain. Precisely how lipids interact with the immune system opens an important and exciting area for future research.