IFNγ-producing NK cells in adipose tissue are associated with hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in obese women

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity Vol. 45; no. 7; pp. 1607 - 1617
• Main Authors: Mogilenko, Denis A., Caiazzo, Robert, L’homme, Laurent, Pineau, Laurent, Raverdy, Violeta, Noulette, Jerome, Derudas, Bruno, Pattou, Francois, Staels, Bart, Dombrowicz, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.07.2021; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13/31; 692/163/2743/137/773; 692/308/575; 692/699/2743/393; Adipocytes; Adipose tissue; Adult; Body fat; CD4 antigen; CD56 antigen; CD8 antigen; Cell activation; Cell differentiation; Cells, Cultured; Crosstalk; Cytokines; Cytotoxicity; Epidemiology; Female; Gene expression; Glucose; Glucose metabolism; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Hemoglobin; Homeostasis; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Hyperglycemia - metabolism; Immune system; Inflammation; Insulin; Insulin resistance; Insulin Resistance - physiology; Interferon-gamma - metabolism; Interleukin 12; Interleukin 15; Internal Medicine; Intra-Abdominal Fat - cytology; Intra-Abdominal Fat - metabolism; Killer Cells, Natural - metabolism; Lipid metabolism; Lipids; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Lymphoid cells; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Natural killer cells; Obesity; Obesity, Morbid - metabolism; Phenotypes; Public Health; Young Adult; γ-Interferon
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/s41366-021-00826-1

Background/objectives Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) play an important role in the maintenance of immune and metabolic homeostasis in adipose tissue (AT). The crosstalk between AT ILCs and adipocytes and other immune cells coordinates adipocyte differentiation, beiging, glucose metabolism and inflammation. Although the metabolic and homeostatic functions of mouse ILCs have been extensively investigated, little is known about human adipose ILCs and their roles in obesity and insulin resistance (IR). Subjects/methods Here we characterized T and NK cell populations in omental AT (OAT) from women ( n  = 18) with morbid obesity and varying levels of IR and performed an integrated analysis of metabolic parameters and adipose tissue transcriptomics. Results In OAT, we found a distinct population of CD56 – NKp46 + EOMES + NK cells characterized by expression of cytotoxic molecules, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and markers of cell activation. AT IFNγ + NK cells, but not CD4, CD8 or γδ T cells, were positively associated with glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and IR. AT NK cells were linked to a pro-inflammatory gene expression profile in AT and developed an effector phenotype in response to IL-12 and IL-15. Moreover, integrated transcriptomic analysis revealed a potential implication of AT IFNγ + NK cells in controlling adipose tissue inflammation, remodeling, and lipid metabolism. Conclusions Our results suggest that a distinct IFNγ−producing NK cell subset is involved in metabolic homeostasis in visceral AT in humans with obesity and may be a potential target for therapy of IR.