Emerging Roles of Adipose Tissue in the Pathogenesis of Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis in Obesity

• Published in: JID innovations Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 100064
• Main Authors: Guo, Zhuolin, Yang, Yichun, Liao, Yanhang, Shi, Yulin, Zhang, Ling-juan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Review; FFA; dFB; SCORAD; TEWL; sWAT; AD; AMP; CI; HFD; dWAT; DIO; WAT; PSO; TC; PA; OA; AT; TG; Th; BAT; KC; TLR; BMI; DC; SCORAD, SCORing Atopic Dermatitis; CI, confidence interval; DIO, diet-induced obesity; DC, dendritic cell; AMP, antimicrobial peptide; Th, T helper; BAT, brown adipose tissue; AD, atopic dermatitis; FFA, free fatty acid; KC, keratinocyte; BMI, body mass index; TG, triglyceride; dWAT, dermal white adipose tissue; OA, oleic acid; WAT, white adipose tissue; TEWL, transepidermal water loss; HFD, high-fat diet; dFB, dermal fibroblast; AT, adipose tissue; PA, palmitic acid; PSO, psoriasis; sWAT, subcutaneous white adipose tissue; TC, total cholesterol; TLR, toll-like receptor
• ISSN: 2667-0267; 2667-0267
• DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100064

Obesity is a growing epidemic worldwide, and it is also considered a major environmental factor contributing to the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis (PSO) and atopic dermatitis (AD). Moreover, obesity worsens the course and impairs the treatment response of these inflammatory skin diseases. Emerging evidence highlights that hypertrophied adipocytes and infiltrated immune cells secrete a variety of molecules, including fatty acids and adipokines, such as leptin, adiponectin, and a panel of cytokines/chemokines that modulate our immune system. In this review, we describe how adipose hypertrophy leads to a chronic low-grade inflammatory state in obesity and how obesity-related inflammatory factors are involved in the pathogenesis of PSO and/or AD. Finally, we discuss the potential role of antimicrobial peptides, mechanical stress and impairment of epidermal barrier function mediated by fast expansion, and dermal fat in modulating skin inflammation. Together, this review summarizes the current literature on how obesity is associated with the pathogenesis of PSO and AD, highlighting the potentially important but overlooked immunomodulatory role of adipose tissue in the skin.