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(Circulation Research. 2008;102:140.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Editorials

Adiponectin and Adaptive Immunity

Linking the Bridge From Obesity to Atherogenesis

Sabine Steffens, Francois Mach

From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Foundation for Medical Research, Geneva 4, Switzerland.

Correspondence to Prof Dr Francois Mach, MD, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Foundation for Medical Researches, 64 Ave Roseraie, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland. E-mail Francois.Mach@medecine.unige.ch

See related article, pages 218–225

Key Words: adiponectin • atherogenesis • adaptive immunity • T lymphocyte • chemokine

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

Obesity, characterized by an excess of adipose tissue mass, is closely associated with an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality attributable to atherosclerosis.¹ Obesity is a major underlying risk factor for atherosclerosis through other well-known risk factors, including the major risk factors (hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, hyperglycemia) and emerging risk factors (atherogenic dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, proinflammatory and prothrombotic state).² The clinical value of novel risk factors such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein are currently subject of ongoing discussions.³ The clustering of major and emerging risk factors that is found in most obese patients is defined as the metabolic syndrome.²

Among various cytokine-like hormones secreted by adipose tissue, the most abundant and adipose-specific is adiponectin (Figure).⁴ Reduced plasma levels of adiponectin, which are found in obese patients, are closely associated with obesity-related diseases, including atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.⁴ Emerging experimental evidence indicates that adiponectin mediates antiatherogenic and antithrombotic effects through direct protective actions on endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, macrophages, and platelets.^1,5,6

View larger version (19K):   Figure. Antiatherogenic effects of adiponectin. The cytokine-like hormone adiponectin, which is selectively expressed by adipose cells, exhibits antiatherogenic properties through direct and indirect effects on endothelial cells (EC), smooth muscle cells (SMC), platelets, macrophages, and T lymphocytes. IL indicates interleukin; IL-1RA, IL-1 receptor antagonist; NF-B, nuclear factor B.

Growing evidence suggests a close association between inflammatory processes in obesity/the metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis.⁵ Besides, it is now well accepted that immune responses participate in all phases of atherosclerosis, from its initiation through its complications, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Related Article:

Adiponectin Inhibits the Production of CXC Receptor 3 Chemokine Ligands in Macrophages and Reduces T-Lymphocyte Recruitment in Atherogenesis

Yoshihisa Okamoto, Eduardo J. Folco, Manabu Minami, A.K. Wara, Mark W. Feinberg, Galina K. Sukhova, Richard A. Colvin, Shinji Kihara, Tohru Funahashi, Andrew D. Luster, and Peter Libby
Circ. Res. 2008 102: 218-225. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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