Dual role of complement in adipose tissue

Once thought of as purely the body's chief energy store, adipose tissue and its constituent adipocytes have emerged as both a metabolic entity and an endocrine one. Complement is generally thought of as originating mainly from hepatic synthesis but also from synthesis by the macrophage phagocyte system. This review revisits early descriptions of adipocytic synthesis of complement components and highlights the need of a systematic analysis of the contribution of adipose tissue to systemic inflammation in order to appreciate the immunological activity of this tissue. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.