Putative circulating adipose tissue-derived stem cells, obesity, and metabolic syndrome features

In mice, adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) reach the systemic circulation and establish ectopic adipose depots fostering insulin resistance, but whether this occurs in humans is unknown. We examined circulating ASCs in individuals with various combination of metabolic syndrome traits.

We enrolled patients attending a routine metabolic evaluation or scheduled for bariatric surgery. We quantified ASCs as CD34⁺CD45^-CD31^-(CD36⁺) cells in the stromal vascular fraction of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue samples and examined the presence and frequency of putative ASCs in peripheral blood.

We included 111 patients (mean age 59 years, 55% males), 40 of whom were scheduled for bariatric surgery. The population of CD34⁺CD45^-CD31^- ASCs was significantly more frequent in visceral than subcutaneous adipose depots (10.4 vs 4.1% of the stromal vascular fraction; p < 0.001), but not correlated with BMI or metabolic syndrome traits. The same phenotype of ASCs was detectable in peripheral blood of 58.6% of patients. Those with detectable circulating ASCs had significantly higher BMI (37.8 vs 33.3 kg/m²; p = 0.003) and waist (111.2 vs 105.4 cm; p = 0.001), but no difference in other metabolic syndrome traits (p = 0.84). After bariatric surgery, patients with detectable circulating ASCs had greater BMI reductions at 6 months (- 10.4 vs - 7.8 kg/m²; p = 0.014).

Presence of putative circulating ASCs, antigenically similar to those observed in the adipose tissue, is associated with greater adiposity and larger BMI reduction after surgery, but not with clinical signs of metabolic impairment. The role of circulating ASCs in adipose tissue biology and systemic metabolism deserves further investigation.