title: Adipose tissue NK cells manifest an activated phenotype in human obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adipose tissue inflammation is a cause of obesity-related metabolic disease. Natural killer (NK) cells are an understudied cell type in the context of obesity. The goal of this study was to determine the phenotype of human adipose tissue NK cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used flow cytometry phenotyping to study adipose tissue and peripheral blood NK cells from obese and lean humans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Human adipose tissue NK cells, relative to peripheral blood NK cells, express increased levels of activation markers. Adipose tissue NK cells also demonstrate an activated phenotype in obese relative to lean subjects, with increased expression of the activating receptor NKG2D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data are the first detailed phenotypic characterization of human adipose tissue NK cells, and suggest a role for NK cells in adipose tissue inflammation in obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. Electronic address: orourkro@ohsu.edu.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
authors.forename: Garen D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Gaston
authors.forename: Kevin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Ashley E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Marks
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D002469:Cell Separation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000378:metabolism; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013851:Thinness / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; C428200:FCGR3B protein, human; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; C527085:KLRK1 protein, human; C522918:NCAM1 protein, human; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; C516769:PTPRC protein, human
keywords: ATM; ATNK; CD56; Inflammation; NKG2D; PB; PBMC; PBNK; SAT; SVF; VAT; adipose tissue NK cells; adipose tissue macrophages; peripheral blood; peripheral blood NK cells; peripheral blood mononuclear cells; stromovascular cell fraction; subcutaneous adipose tissue; visceral adipose tissue