The Role of Adipose Tissue and Adipokines in Obesity-RelatedInflammatory Diseases

Obesity is an energy-rich condition associated with overnutrition, which impairs systemic metabolic homeostasis and elicitsstress. It also activates an inflammatory process in metabolically active sites, such as white adipose tissue, liver, and immunecells. As consequence, increased circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines, hormone-like molecules, and other inflammatorymarkers are induced. This determines a chronic active inflammatory condition, associated with the development of the obesityrelatedinflammatory diseases. This paper describes the role of adipose tissue and the biological effects of many adipokines in thesediseases.