Factors that promote macrophage homing to adipose tissue in metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a common cardio-metabolic cluster, predisposes to both increased cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Both adipose tissue and monocyte/macrophages contribute to the increased inflammation in MetS. However there are sparse data on factors that determine macrophage recruitment into adipose tissue (AT). In this preliminary report in patients with MetS, without the confounding of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, we show that plasma resistin, soluble CD14 and monocyte p38 MAP kinase activity correlate significantly with AT macrophage density and hence could be important biomediators of macrophage homing to AT in MetS. However larger studies are required to confirm these novel findings and elucidate other important factors.