Adipose tissue is an immunologically active organ that controls host physiology, partly through the release of mediators termed adipokines. In obesity, adipocytes and infiltrating leukocytes produce adipokines, which include the hormones adiponectin and leptin and cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor and IL-1β. These adipokines orchestrate immune responses that are collectively referred to as metabolic inflammation. Consequently, metabolic inflammation characterizes metabolic disorders and promotes distinct disease aspects, such as insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease and cardiovascular complications. In this unifying concept, adipokines participate in the immunological cross-talk that occurs between metabolically active organs in metabolic diseases, highlighting the fundamental role of adipokines in obesity and their potential for therapeutic intervention. Here, we summarize how adipokines shape metabolic inflammation in mice and humans, focusing on their contribution to metabolic disorders in the setting of obesity and discussing their value as therapeutic targets.

脂肪组织是一种免疫活性器官，部分通过释放称为脂肪因子的介质来控制宿主的生理机能。在肥胖中，脂肪细胞和浸润白细胞产生脂肪因子，其中包括脂联素和瘦素激素以及肿瘤坏死因子和 IL-1β 等细胞因子。这些脂肪因子协调免疫反应，统称为代谢炎症。因此，代谢炎症是代谢紊乱的特征，并促进不同的疾病方面，例如胰岛素抵抗、代谢功能障碍相关的肝病和心血管并发症。在这个统一的概念中，脂肪因子参与代谢疾病中代谢活跃器官之间发生的免疫串扰，突出了脂肪因子在肥胖中的重要作用及其治疗干预的潜力。在这里，我们总结了脂肪因子如何塑造小鼠和人类的代谢炎症，重点介绍了它们在肥胖情况下对代谢紊乱的贡献，并讨论了它们作为治疗靶点的价值。