Adipose tissue R2 signal is increased in subjects with obesity: A preliminary MRI study

• Published in: Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 352 - 358
• Main Authors: Manuel Fernández‐Real, José, Blasco, Gerard, Puig, Josep, Moreno, Maria, Xifra, Gemma, Sánchez‐Gonzalez, Javier, Maria Alustiza, Jose, Pedraza, Salvador, Ricart, Wifredo, María Moreno‐Navarrete, José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2016
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Adipose Tissue - pathology; Adult; Aged; Biomarkers - metabolism; Body fat; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Case-Control Studies; Cholesterol; Female; Ferritins - metabolism; Humans; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Intra-Abdominal Fat - metabolism; Iron; Iron Overload - metabolism; Liver - metabolism; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Metabolic disorders; Methods; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity - metabolism
• ISSN: 1930-7381; 1930-739X
• DOI: 10.1002/oby.21347

Objective: Circulating and adipose tissue markers of iron overload are increased in subjects with obesity. The aim is to study iron signals in adipose tissue. Methods: Adipose tissue R2* values and hepatic iron concentration (HIC) were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 23 middle‐aged subjects with obesity and 20 subjects without obesity. Results: Subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) R2* were increased in subjects with obesity (P = 0.004 and P = 0.008) and correlated significantly and positively with HIC in all subjects. Strikingly, most of the associations of liver iron with metabolic parameters were replicated with SAT and VAT R2*. BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, HOMA value, and C‐reactive protein positively correlated with HIC and SAT and VAT R2*. BMI or percent fat mass (but not insulin resistance) contributed independently to 26.8‐34.8% of the variance in sex‐ and age‐adjusted SAT or VAT R2* (β > 0.40, P < 0.005). Within subjects with obesity, total cholesterol independently contributed to 14.8% of sex‐ and age‐adjusted VAT iron variance (β = 0.50, P = 0.025). Conclusions: Increased R2* in adipose tissue, which might indicate iron content, runs in parallel to liver iron stores of subjects with obesity. VAT iron seems also associated with serum cholesterol within subjects with obesity.