The Immune System and Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes

The aim of this chapter is to show how immune cells participate during type 2 diabetes (T2D) establishment. Obesity is a major T2D driver, and it is also associated with insulin resistance (IR). These pathologies appear along with chronic inflammation characterized by an increased expression of proinflammatory molecules such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, resistin, and leptin, whereas anti-inflammatory cytokines as adiponectin, IL-4, IL-10, and IL-1Ra are decreased. The inflammatory response is triggered, and it occurs predominantly in adipose tissue (AT).