Correlation analysis of key genes and immune infiltration in visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue of patients with type 2 diabetes in women

Immune cell infiltration into adipose tissue (AT) is a key factor in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, research on the impact of fat distribution on immune cells and immune responses in women is still lacking. This study used enrichment, protein-protein interaction network, immune cell infiltration, and correlation analysis to compare the similarities and differences between the transcriptome data of visceral AT (VAT) and subcutprotein-proteinaneous AT (SAT) obtained from the omprehensive database of gene expression in women with non-T2DM and T2DM. DEGs with the same biological function in two types of ATs often exhibited different expression trends. SharedVAT-specific and SAT-specific hub genes were mainly associated with transcription factors, monocyte-macrophage markers, and chemokines, respectively. Immune cells affected by both AT types included monocytes, granulocytes, T and B lymphocytes, and NK cells. VAT affected more immune cells, mainly myeloid cells. Shared hub genes in VAT correlated positively with M1 macrophages, suggesting pro-inflammatory effects, while those in SAT correlated negatively with M1 macrophages and lymphocytes, suggesting anti-inflammatory effects. This study provides a theoretical basis for further understanding the correlation between AT and T2DM in women.