Exploring the Th2 Response in Obesity and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): A Potential Modulator of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) Pathway in Hypertension Development
Lucía Angélica Méndez-García,
Galileo Escobedo,
Itzel Baltazar-Pérez,
Nydia Angélica Ocampo-Aguilera,
José Alfonso Arreola-Miranda,
Miguel Angel Cid-Soto,
Ana Alfaro-Cruz,
Antonio González-Chávez,
Aquiles Ranferi Ocaña-Guzmán,
Helena Solleiro-Villavicencio
Affiliations
Lucía Angélica Méndez-García
Immunometabolism Laboratory, General Hospital of Mexico “Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
Galileo Escobedo
Immunometabolism Laboratory, General Hospital of Mexico “Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
Itzel Baltazar-Pérez
Immunometabolism Laboratory, General Hospital of Mexico “Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
Nydia Angélica Ocampo-Aguilera
Immunometabolism Laboratory, General Hospital of Mexico “Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
José Alfonso Arreola-Miranda
Immunometabolism Laboratory, General Hospital of Mexico “Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
Miguel Angel Cid-Soto
Sequencing Laboratory, Division of Research Development, National Medical Center “Siglo XXI”, Mexican Social Security Institute, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
Ana Alfaro-Cruz
Pathological Anatomy Department, General Hospital of Mexico “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City 06726, Mexico
Antonio González-Chávez
Comprehensive Care Clinic for Patients with Diabetes and Obesity (CAIDO), General Hospital of Mexico “Dr. Eduardo Liceaga”, Mexico City 06726, Mexico
Aquiles Ranferi Ocaña-Guzmán
Integrative Immunology Laboratory, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
Helena Solleiro-Villavicencio
Genomics Sciences Program, Oncogenomics and Cancer Proteomics Laboratory, Autonomous University of Mexico City, Avenue San Lorenzo 290, Mexico City 03100, Mexico
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is alarmingly increasing alongside the cases of obesity worldwide. MASLD is an underestimated metabolic abnormality closely linked with a higher risk of developing systemic arterial hypertension (SAH). However, the underlying mechanism of association between MASLD and SAH remains unknown. Inflammation may link these two entities by regulating the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). For this reason, in this study, we evaluated the hepatic expression of a cytokine profile and critical molecules in the RAS pathway in patients with morbid obesity and MASLD, both with SAH. We found a statistically significant correlation between ACE levels and the cytokines IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13 of Th2 response. Furthermore, according to a multiple linear regression analysis, the cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 were the best predictors of ACE levels. Moreover, we observed increased hepatic IL-13 expression in patients with morbid obesity, MASLD, and SAH compared to those without SAH. These results allow us to propose, for the first time, that the Th2 response, through regulating the RAS, could play a critical role in developing SAH in individuals with MASLD and obesity.