Excessive proliferation in culture of reverted adipocytes from massively obese persons.

Differentiated omental adipocytes from lean and massively obese persons lost their spherical shape in culture and regained the ability to replicate. In propagating culture, reverted cells from each group multiplied to a greater extent than corresponding stromal adipocyte precursors. Reverted adipocytes from the massively obese proliferated at significantly higher rates than those from lean subjects. Reverted cells derived from 1-2 adipocytes also revealed these differences.