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A Distinct Cytokine Profile and Stromal Vascular Fraction Metabolic Status without Significant Changes in the Lipid Composition Characterizes Lipedema.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Wolf, Stefan 
Felmerer, Gunther 
Kim, Bong-Sung 

Abstract

Lipedema is an adipose tissue disorder characterized by the disproportionate increase of subcutaneous fat tissue in the lower and/or upper extremities. The underlying pathomechanism remains unclear and no molecular biomarkers to distinguish the disease exist, leading to a large number of undiagnosed and misdiagnosed patients. To unravel the distinct molecular characteristic of lipedema we performed lipidomic analysis of the adipose tissue and serum of lipedema versus anatomically- and body mass index (BMI)-matched control patients. Both tissue groups showed no significant changes regarding lipid composition. As hyperplastic adipose tissue represents low-grade inflammation, the potential systemic effects on circulating cytokines were evaluated in lipedema and control patients using the Multiplex immunoassay system. Interestingly, increased systemic levels of interleukin 11 (p = 0.03), interleukin 28A (p = 0.04) and interleukin 29 (p = 0.04) were observed. As cytokines can influence metabolic activity, the metabolic phenotype of the stromal vascular fraction was examined, revealing significantly increased mitochondrial respiration in lipedema. In conclusion, despite sharing a comparable lipid profile with healthy adipose tissue, lipedema is characterized by a distinct systemic cytokine profile and metabolic activity of the stromal vascular fraction.

Description

Keywords

adipose tissue, lipedema, lipidomics, mitochondrial respiration, Adipose Tissue, Adult, Biomarkers, Biopsy, Body Mass Index, Cytokines, Female, Humans, Immunoassay, Inflammation, Lipedema, Lipid Metabolism, Lipidomics, Lipids, Male, Mass Spectrometry, Middle Aged, Mitochondria, Oxygen Consumption, Phenotype, Stromal Cells

Journal Title

Int J Mol Sci

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1422-0067
1422-0067

Volume Title

22

Publisher

MDPI AG
Sponsorship
Lipedema Foundation (14,27,27A)
Universität Zürich (postdoc grant)