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

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.

免疫细胞浸润至脂肪组织（AT）是2型糖尿病（T2DM）的关键因素。然而，关于女性脂肪分布对免疫细胞及免疫应答影响的研究仍较为匮乏。本研究采用富集分析、蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用网络分析、免疫细胞浸润分析及相关性分析，对比了从女性非T2DM与T2DM患者基因表达综合数据库中获取的内脏脂肪组织（VAT）与皮下脂肪组织（SAT）转录组数据的异同。在两种AT中具有相同生物学功能的差异表达基因（DEGs）通常呈现不同的表达趋势。共有枢纽基因、VAT特异性枢纽基因及SAT特异性枢纽基因分别主要与转录因子、单核细胞-巨噬细胞标志物及趋化因子相关。受两种AT影响的免疫细胞包括单核细胞、粒细胞、T淋巴细胞、B淋巴细胞及自然杀伤细胞（NK cells）。VAT影响的免疫细胞更多，主要为髓系细胞。VAT中的共有枢纽基因与M1型巨噬细胞呈正相关，提示促炎效应；而SAT中的共有枢纽基因与M1型巨噬细胞及淋巴细胞呈负相关，提示抗炎效应。本研究为进一步理解女性AT与T2DM之间的关联提供了理论基础。