Obesity and COVID-19: AdipoSe TissuE Responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Most of the SARS-CoV-2 infected patients admitted to the ICU with respiratory failure had central obesity, extensive visceral fat and a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or higher (mean 30 kg/m2). Recent findings from the UK, in the largest cohort study to date, confirm that the likelihood of hospital death due to SARS-CoV-2 is associated with obesity severity. Circulating adipose tissue (AT)-derived mediators such as leptin are known to be associated with BMI and are known to have immunomodulating properties which may prime obese individuals to infection resulting in an exaggerated response. We therefore postulate that excess adipose tissue, its distribution and secreted mediators play an important role in the type of immune response and subsequently in the progression towards respiratory insufficiency in patients with SARS-CoV-2.

We hypothesize that excess adipose tissue, its distribution and secreted mediators play an important role in the type of immune response and subsequently in the progression towards respiratory insufficiency in COVID-19 patients.

2 adipose tissue samples during surgery of the patient (bariatric surgery) and 1 adipose tissue sample from lean individuals undergoing abdominal surgery

We will collect human visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue samples in order to investigate the adipose tissue responses to ex vivo SARS-CoV-2 infection. Small adipose tissue samples (subcutaneous and visceral) will be collected from patients undergoing either bariatric surgery (obese) or elective abdominal surgery (visceral only) (lean).