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Pond, Caroline M.
(2003).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1471-4906(02)00004-2
Abstract
Paracrine interactions between lymphoid cells and adipocytes surrounding lymph nodes improve the efficiency of immune responses by emancipating activated lymphoid cells from competition with other tissues for blood-borne nutrients. HIV infection may disrupt this relationship, causing lipodystrophy.
The adipocytes anatomically associated with lymph nodes and omental milky spots have site-specific properties that equip them to interact locally with lymphoid cells. Paracrine provisioning of peripheral immune responses improves their efficiency and emancipates activated lymphocytes from competition with other tissues for blood-borne nutrients. Prolonged disruption to such paracrine interactions may contribute to the HIV-associated adipose redistribution syndrome, causing selective hypertrophy of the mesentery, omentum and other adipose depots that contain much activated lymphoid tissue.