title: Role of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the predisposition of obese individuals to inflammation and infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from obese but otherwise healthy individuals to that of normal-weight volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  25 healthy normal-weight subjects and 41 obese individuals were enrolled. Weight and height were measured twice. PBMC were examined for their capacity to generate pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-2) and anti-inflammatory IL-10 and IL-1ra) cytokines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PBMC from obese individuals, compared to those from subjects with normal weight showed an increased production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-2 (6.7 ± 0.4. vs. 4.9 ± 0.3 ng/ml; p = 0.003), TNF-α (505 ± 45 vs. 277 ± 32 pg/ml; p = 0.001), and IFN-γ (93.8 ± 6.0 vs. 73.9 ± 2.7 ng/ml; p = 0.0016). However, PBMC from obese individuals produced a lower amount of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (651 ±72 pg/ml) versus those from subjects with normal weight (951 ± 133 pg/ml; p = 0.039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings imply that obese individuals are in a 'low-grade inflammatory state', presumed to be connected with metabolic and cardiovascular co morbidities. The surplus of pro-inflammatory cytokines produced by circulating mononuclear cells of obese individuals, together with those secreted by adipocytes and non-fat cells in the adipose tissue, may contribute to the predisposition of obese patients to inflammation and infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine D, Rabin Medical Center-Hasharon Hospital, Petah-Tiqva, and the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Dror
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dicker
authors.forename: Mahmud Abo
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Salook
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marcoviciu
authors.forename: Meir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Djaldetti
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bessler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma