Weakened Antibacterial Immunity Linked to Obesity

Associate Dean for Research, Dr. Salomon Amar, and his team have linked obesity to weakened antibacterial immunity. 

Through experimental research, Dr. Amar and his team looked at how control and obese mice fought P. gingivalis infection. In order to study this, they infected the mice using silk thread that had been coated with bacterial broth and tied around their molars. It was determined that obesity acutely compromised the immune responses to gum infection as well as infection of the entire body based on the bone loss and bacterial counts of the mice.

"These findings are significant because they are the first to demonstrate an immune paralysis related to obesity,” said Dr. Amar. “Based on this knowledge, substantial attention to antibacterial immunity will now be required in the treatment of obese individuals."

Dr. Amar and his team also assessed the chemical secretion profile of macrophages and found that levels of key signaling molecules were considerably lower in macrophages from the obese mice, and the expression profile of inflammation-related genes was altered. Exactly how obesity causes this reaction remains uncertain, but the results highlight one particular signaling pathway involving the transcription factor NF-κB.

More information about Dr. Amar’s research appears in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Science.