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Study Links Inflammation of Intra-Abdominal Fat and the Ill-Effects of Obesity

Study Links Inflammation of Intra-Abdominal Fat and the Ill-Effects of Obesity

July 11, 2008

Medical Research, Press Releases

BEER-SHEVA, Israel – June 28, 2007 – Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) led by Drs. Assaf Rudich, Iris Shai and Prof. Nava Bashan, in conjunction with Soroka University Medical Center (led by Dr. Ilana Harman-Boehm) and colleagues from the University of Leipzig, Germany, have discovered a possible link between diseases caused by obesity and fat tissue inflammation in the abdominal area of the body.


Each Center’s research programs obtained paired biopsies from intra-abdominal and subcutaneous (under the skin) fat taken from patients undergoing abdominal surgery.


Researchers demonstrated that fatty tissue collected within the abdomen attracts inflammatory cells of the immune system to a greater degree than the subcutaneous fat.  The number of these cells increases in people suffering from obesity, specifically those whose fat accumulation is found primarily in the abdominal cavity.  The research has found a correlation between the degree of intra-abdominal fat inflammation and the increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes and heart disease.

The researchers’ discoveries were published in June in two American Endocrine Society journals – Endocrinology, and the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.


When comparing the two types of fatty tissues, as well as obese versus lean people, researchers were able to pinpoint two specific inflammation response signals that were increased in the intra-abdominal fat of the obese patients.  These findings provide new insight to the possible cause and effect in this situation, and may open new therapeutic avenues for treatment.  


The research was funded by The Russell Berrie Foundation and D-Cure Diabetes Care in Israel, by The Israeli Foundation for the Study of Diabetes, and by the Israel Science Foundation. 

ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY

By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.

About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.

We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.

BGU at a glance:  

20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.

 

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