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Tuberculosis and the Inflammatory Processes of Obesity in Human Evolution

Giamila Fantuzzi, PhD
JAMA. 2009;302(16):1754-1755. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1514.
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To the Editor: In his Commentary, Dr Roth1 proposed that the proinflammatory state of obesity might have provided an evolutionary advantage during tuberculosis pandemics. Although tuberculosis is likely to have played an important role in shaping human evolution, I believe the notion that obesity-associated inflammation favors protection or survival from tuberculosis is not well supported.

Roth's statement that the “immune systems [of obese persons] . . . are especially robust and more easily triggered” is not supported by current data, which, although controversial, point toward a state of immunosuppression rather than immune enhancement in obesity.2 Furthermore, although levels of proinflammatory cytokines are increased in obesity, this does not necessarily result in increased defenses against tuberculosis for 2 reasons.

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October 28, 2009
Jesse Roth, MD
JAMA. 2009;302(16):1754-1755. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1515.
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