ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of adipose tissue as an immune organ, reviewing how the transition in the concept of adipose physiology occurred, and discussing the role of adipose tissue as part of the immune response and the presence and role of immune cells within adipose tissue. It reviews the potential involvement of adipose tissue-resident immune cells in the etiopathology of certain chronic diseases. Adipokines play specific roles in a diverse range of biological processes, including the immune response, control of immune cell migration into adipose tissue, and induction of an inflammatory response. While this is the case for cytokines and chemokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, traditional adipokines like leptin, adiponectin, and resistin also have important immunomodulatory actions. Adipose tissue–resident macrophages can occur as a consequence of the greater survival and proliferation of this macrophage population, the inhibition of macrophage migration out of adipose tissue, or an increased trafficking of circulating monocytes toward adipose tissue.
