Table 2.
Effect of obesity | Findings in obese asthma | |
---|---|---|
Lymphocyte function | ↑ Th1 and ↑Th17 | ↑ CD4+ Th1 compared with Th2 cells ↑ cytokine production from CD4+ T cells after weight loss ↓ cytokine production from mediastinal lymph node cells with high fat diet |
Eosinophil function | Increased chemotaxis and adhesion | Most studies show decreased airway eosinophilia with obesity, this may be related to abnormal trafficking from tissue |
Neutrophil function | Increased circulating neutrophils in obesity | Increased sputum and circulating neutrophils in some obese asthmatics Weight loss reduces sputum neutrophilia in women |
Macrophage function | Promotes development of M1 macrophages | Increased sputum macrophages Impaired efferocytosis Impaired response to glucocorticoids Altered response to lipopolysaccharide Increased macrophage activation in obese children |