Abstract

Adipose tissue lies at the crossroad of nutrition, metabolism and immunity and adipose tissue inflammation was proposed as a central mechanism connecting obesity with its metabolic and vascular complications. Resident immune cells constitute the second largest adipose tissue cellular component after adipocytes and as such play important roles in maintaining adipose tissue homeostasis. Obesity induced changes in their number and activity result in activation of local and later systemic inflammatory response marking the transition from simple adiposity to diseases like type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease. This review will focus on the various subsets of immune cells in adipose tissue and their role in the development of adipose tissue inflammation and obesity-induced insulin resistance.