Moulin Cristiane Martins, Marguti Ivo, Peron Jean Pierre S, Rizzo Luiz Vicente, Halpern Alfredo
Departamento de Endocrinologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar 255, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Arq Bras Endocrinol Metabol. 2009 Mar;53(2):183-9. doi: 10.1590/s0004-27302009000200010.
Studies evaluating immune function in obese humans and experimental animals indicate that the excess adiposity is associated with impaired in immune responses. Obesity is related to a higher rate of infections and to some types of cancer. Nutritional, metabolic and endocrine factors are implicated in the immunological changes. The adipose tissue directly produces substances with various functions related to immune system. Furthermore, some investigations suggest that certain types of weight reduction strategies can alter the immune function. Nevertheless, long-term studies should be carried out to address whether these changes positively affects the ability of these obese individuals to control infections and tumor development.
