Correlation analysis of key genes and immune infiltration in visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue of patients with type 2 diabetes in women

Adipocyte. 2025 Dec;14(1):2442419. doi: 10.1080/21623945.2024.2442419. Epub 2024 Dec 24.

Abstract

Immune cell infiltration into adipose tissue (AT) is a key factor in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, research on the impact of fat distribution on immune cells and immune responses in women is still lacking. This study used enrichment, protein-protein interaction network, immune cell infiltration, and correlation analysis to compare the similarities and differences between the transcriptome data of visceral AT (VAT) and subcutprotein-proteinaneous AT (SAT) obtained from the omprehensive database of gene expression in women with non-T2DM and T2DM. DEGs with the same biological function in two types of ATs often exhibited different expression trends. SharedVAT-specific and SAT-specific hub genes were mainly associated with transcription factors, monocyte-macrophage markers, and chemokines, respectively. Immune cells affected by both AT types included monocytes, granulocytes, T and B lymphocytes, and NK cells. VAT affected more immune cells, mainly myeloid cells. Shared hub genes in VAT correlated positively with M1 macrophages, suggesting pro-inflammatory effects, while those in SAT correlated negatively with M1 macrophages and lymphocytes, suggesting anti-inflammatory effects. This study provides a theoretical basis for further understanding the correlation between AT and T2DM in women.

Keywords: Gene Expression Omnibus; immune infiltration analysis; subcutaneous fat tissue; type 2 diabetes; visceral fat tissue.

MeSH terms

  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / immunology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Intra-Abdominal Fat* / immunology
  • Intra-Abdominal Fat* / metabolism
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Protein Interaction Maps
  • Subcutaneous Fat* / immunology
  • Subcutaneous Fat* / metabolism
  • Transcriptome