Immunometabolism focusses on the interplay between immunological and metabolic processes, both at a systemic and a cellular level. This thesis is divided into two parts based on these two... Show moreImmunometabolism focusses on the interplay between immunological and metabolic processes, both at a systemic and a cellular level. This thesis is divided into two parts based on these two levels. The first part focusses on the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP), an adipose tissue located in the knee, and the potential role in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis. Therefore, we characterized the IFP based on a cellular and molecular level and found that the inflammatory state of the joint does affect the cellular load of the IFP, however, the secretory profile of the IFP does not seem to be affected. Furthermore, obesity-related changes normally found in adipose tissue were not present in the IFP. When characterizing the IFP we found two interesting cell populations, IL-6-secreting T cells and macrophages with an anti-inflammatory phenotype secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines. Both populations could be involved in the pathophysiology of the osteoarthritic joint. Furthermore, in the second part we focussed on cellular metabolism where we determined the mechanism by which fatty acids exert their effect on T cells. We found that fatty acids are not served as energy, however, whether it is used for daughter cells or influencing cell signalling remains to be elucidated. Show less
Conclusion: An impaired glucose metabolism does not seem be related to OA. In men, an association was observed for fasting glucose concentrations and hand OA. Future studies should investigate the... Show moreConclusion: An impaired glucose metabolism does not seem be related to OA. In men, an association was observed for fasting glucose concentrations and hand OA. Future studies should investigate the presence of sex differences in the pathogenesis of hand OA. (C) 2016 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Show less
This thesis investigates the role of adipose tissue inflammation in joint diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) . In the first part, we show that baseline levels of... Show moreThis thesis investigates the role of adipose tissue inflammation in joint diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) . In the first part, we show that baseline levels of circulating adiponectin can predict radiographic progression in patients with early RA. In contrast, in patients with hand OA, this association appears protective. Therefore, to obtain insight into the mechanisms underlying these associations, we investigated the high-molecular-weight isoform of adiponectin (hmwAPN), which is one of the most biologically active isoforms of adiponectin. We show that the associations of total adiponectin with radiographic progression are not mediated by hmwAPN, in either RA or HOA. In the second part, we present the immunological characterization of the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP), a joint associated adipose tissue, in patients with advanced knee OA. We observed profound differences in secreted inflammatory factors and immune cell composition between the IFP and paired subcutaneous adipose tissue samples. Interestingly, we observed obesity-related changes in the IFP phenotype, and in macrophages and adipocytes, Therefore, we investigated the modulatory effects of adipocytes on the phenotype of human macrophages in vitro and we observed that adipocyte-derived lipids can mediate the obesity-related changes in the phenotype of adipose tissue macrophages in humans Show less
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a frequently occurring joint disorder with great impact on the quality of life. In general, OA is described as a heterogeneous disease with degeneration of articular... Show moreOsteoarthritis (OA) is a frequently occurring joint disorder with great impact on the quality of life. In general, OA is described as a heterogeneous disease with degeneration of articular cartilage as main outcome. Despite extensive research on the pathogenesis of OA, there is until now no cure and treatments are primarily aimed at reducing pain. Evidence starts to appear that mild inflammation and obesity-related biochemical changes are involved in OA pathology. It is uncertain what the relative contribution of these processes is and if they characterize a certain type of OA patients. We identified obesity, high cholesterol and systemic inflammation associated with these conditions as major players in OA development, which may activate joint tissues to secrete inflammatory mediators and contribute to the initiation and progression of OA. Our work suggests that a stratification of OA patients with (features of) the metabolic syndrome as underlying mechanism is recommendable, to optimize the efficacy of clinical trials. Approaching OA as a disease induced by whole body metabolism, and integrating knowledge about different potentially active tissues in the OA process, will provide new insights for possible pharmacological interventions. Show less
Obesity is a major risk factor of osteoarthritis development and progression. Theoretically, obesity is a factor that can be modified. While obesity epidemic is difficult to reverse because we live... Show moreObesity is a major risk factor of osteoarthritis development and progression. Theoretically, obesity is a factor that can be modified. While obesity epidemic is difficult to reverse because we live in lipogenic environment, personal approach in modify obesity may avail. Therefore, understanding how obesity leads to osteoarthritis is needed. The first three chapters of this thesis investigate several aspects of osteoarthritis: what structures are damaged, what factors are associated with worsening of osteoarthritis and how to measure worsening of osteoarthritis. The other four chapters investigate the link between obesity and osteoarthritis. We show that obesity is associated with hand osteoarthritis. Since we do not walk on our hand, there must be another factor than mechanical that cause joint damage in osteoarthritis. One of the factors is adipokines, protein produced mainly by fat tissue. We showed that adiponectin, one of the adipokines, prevents worsening of hand osteoarthritis. We concluded that obesity plays role in osteoarthritis not only due to added mechanical force but also due to added metabolic force (adipokines). These adipokines might be used as target in modifying the effect of obesity on osteoarthritis. However, we still need more studies on how obesity links with osteoarthritis Show less
