Lipomatosis-associated inflammation and excess collagen may contribute to lower relative resting energy expenditure in women with adiposis dolorosa

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity 2009-09, Vol.33 (9), p.1031-1038
• Main Authors: Herbst, K.L, Coviello, A.D, Chang, A, Boyle, D.L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; adipokines; Adipokines - blood; Adipose tissue; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Adipose Tissue - pathology; adiposis dolorosa; Adiposis Dolorosa - metabolism; Adiposis Dolorosa - pathology; Adolescent; Adult; Basal Metabolism - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Body fat; Body mass index; Calorimetry; Calorimetry, Indirect; Case reports; Case-Control Studies; Collagen; Collagen - metabolism; Connective tissue; Connective tissue tumors; Cytokines; Cytokines - blood; Dermatology; Diagnosis; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; Energy; Energy Metabolism - physiology; Epidemiology; Fatty acids; Female; Giant Cells - pathology; Health aspects; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation Mediators; Insulin resistance; Internal Medicine; lipomatosis; Lipomatosis - metabolism; Lipomatosis - pathology; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolism; Middle Aged; multi-nucleated giant cells; Obesity; original-article; Overweight persons; Pathophysiology; Properties; Proteins; Public Health; Rest; resting energy expenditure; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions; Weight control; Women; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2009.119

Background: Adiposis dolorosa (AD) is a syndrome of obese and non-obese individuals whose hallmark is lipomatosis: unencapsulated painful fatty masses in subcutaneous fat. Lipomatosis may contain excess collagen and multi-nucleated giant (MNG) cells. Case reports suggest metabolic defects in AD. Objectives: (1) To determine whether women with AD have altered relative resting energy expenditure (REE per total body mass) compared with controls; and (2) to quantitate lipomatosis-associated collagen, MNGs and tissue and blood cytokines that may influence REE. Methods: A total of 10 women with AD were compared with age, body mass index, fat and weight-matched control women. Adipose tissue was obtained from five women with AD and five controls and evaluated for collagen and macrophages/MNGs. Fat mass and fat-free mass were identified by dual X-ray absorptiometry. REE was by determined indirect calorimetry and related to mass. Adipokines and cytokines were evaluated in blood and tissue. Results: Relative REE (REE per total body mass) was lower in women with AD compared with controls (P=0.007). Only lipomatosis (group) and total body mass were significant predictors of REE in forward stepwise regression (P