Obesity and dysregulated innate immune responses: Impact of micronutrient deficiencies

Frank Vrieling, Rinke Stienstra*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Obesity is associated with the development of various complications, including diabetes, atherosclerosis, and an increased risk for infections, driven by dysfunctional innate immune responses. Recent insights have revealed that the availability of nutrients is a key determinant of innate immune cell function. Although the presence of obesity is associated with overnutrition of macronutrients, several micronutrient deficiencies, including Vitamin D and zinc, are often present. Micronutrients have been attributed important immunomodulatory roles. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the immunomodulatory effects of Vitamin D and zinc. We also suggest future lines of research to further improve our understanding of these micronutrients; this may serve as a stepping-stone to explore micronutrient supplementation to improve innate immune cell function during obesity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)217-230
Number of pages14
JournalTrends in Immunology
Volume44
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2023

Keywords

  • immunometabolism
  • macrophages
  • micronutrient deficiencies
  • obesity

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