Elevated B Cell Activation is Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Development in Obese Subjects

Abstract

Background/Aims: Despite strong association between obesity and the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D), only a subset of obese individuals eventually develops T2D. We sought to determine the immunological factors behind this heterogeneity. Methods: Peripheral blood of obese non-diabetic subjects and obese diabetic subjects were collected and the B cell responses in these subjects were analyzed. Results: We found that the B cells from obese diabetic subjects had similar B cell subtype composition and secreted similar levels of low-grade pro-inflammatory cytokines to obese non-diabetic subjects, characteristic to the background chronic immune activation frequently observed in obese subjects. When examining adaptive B cell antibody responses, however, obese diabetic subjects presented much higher levels of polyclonal activation and antibody secretion, with impaired ability to response to new antigens such as seasonal influenza vaccination. Conclusions: These data demonstrated that in obese diabetic subjects, B cell adaptive response is impaired and potentially contribute to overall higher inflammation.

Keywords

• B cell
• Type 2 diabetes
• Obesity