Comparison of number and phenotype of leukocytes in VAT of obese and obese diabetic human patients
To answer research objective 3, we are collaborating with the departments of surgery and endocrinology at CHC for the analysis of immune cells in human VAT. Various mouse studies have shown that immune cells in peripheral blood are not representative of immune cells in visceral fat of glucose intolerant animals.
In humans there have been very few studies that specifically investigate immune cells in VAT, because there is usually no medical reason to extract this tissue from diabetes patients.
In this study, VAT will be obtained from obese (BMI>30) patients that are scheduled to undergo elective cholecystectomy. An oral GTT will be performed to determine whether and to what extent patients are diabetic. Additional pathologies will be measured to determine DM2 disease progression. From VAT-samples, we will determine immune cell numbers and phenotype.