title: Role of macrophage tissue infiltration in metabolic diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  White adipose tissue is necessary for optimal energy homeostasis and the excessive development of fat mass is clearly associated with the metabolic syndrome. The fact that adipocytes secrete a number of specific factors or 'adipokines' has forced a reassessment of the involvement of adipose tissue in a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Obesity has recently been described as a 'low-grade' inflammatory condition, a state proposed to represent a common determinator in the genesis of obesity-associated pathologies, i.e. diabetes and atherosclerosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent reports of an increase in the number of macrophages that infiltrate the fat mass in obese individuals led to the suggestion that adipose tissue itself is a source and site of inflammation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review summarizes recent data on the characterization of the macrophage population in fat tissue. Their origin, fate and activation will be considered. The potential involvement of adipose tissue macrophages in the development of insulin resistance and vascular pathologies, as well as in the control of adipose tissue growth and metabolism, will be examined.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Physiology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. bouloumie@zphys1.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bouloumié
authors.forename: Cyrile Anne
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Curat
authors.forename: Coralie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sengenès
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lolmède
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miranville
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Busse
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines