{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T22:58:19Z","timestamp":1791845899180,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,29]],"date-time":"2025-11-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764374400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Secretar\u00eda de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnolog\u00eda e Innovaci\u00f3n","award":["CF-2023-I-982."],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CF-2023-I-982."]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100005739","name":"Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["1226335"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1226335"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100005739","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study explores the role of human visceral white adipocytes (hv-WAD) in latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). While granulomas and macrophages are traditionally viewed as central to TB latency, emerging evidence highlights adipocytes as significant non-canonical host cells that may facilitate bacterial persistence by providing a protective niche. Unlike the immune-driven environment within granulomas, adipocytes can shield Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) from immune surveillance, promoting survival. In vitro experiments showed that Mtb invades approximately 39% of hv-WAD within 48\u201372 h post-infection (hpi). Both avirulent H37Ra and virulent H37Rv Mtb strains, when infecting adipocytes, expressed RNA for key virulence factors (19 kDa, 30 kDa, Ag85b, 5KST, CFP10, and ESAT6) and dormancy-associated genes (Icl1, LipY, WhiB3, SodA, and Tgs1) at 72 hpi. Infection stimulated the production of inflammatory cytokines, notably leading to a fivefold increase in TNF-\u03b1 with H37Rv (p &lt; 0.01). Additionally, we detected Mtb RNA transcripts (IS6110, 5KST, 30 kDa, CFP10, Ag85) in 68% of biopsies from TB asymptomatic patients. The transcripts suggest a metabolically heterogeneous state of mycobacteria. These findings position visceral fat as a potential reservoir for Mtb in latent TB infection and underscore the development of novel diagnostic strategies targeting adipose tissue.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms262311595","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,1]],"date-time":"2025-12-01T08:13:49Z","timestamp":1764576829000},"page":"11595","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infects Human Visceral White Adipocytes and Expresses Dormancy Genes and Inflammatory Cytokines: The Role of Visceral Adipocytes in Latent Tuberculosis Infection"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-3230-8649","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana E.","family":"Gardu\u00f1o-Torres","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cos\u00edo Villegas, Mexico City 14080, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-4241-9276","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuel G.","family":"Salgado-Cant\u00fa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cos\u00edo Villegas, Mexico City 14080, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7491-1910","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Silvia","family":"Guzm\u00e1n-Beltr\u00e1n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cos\u00edo Villegas, Mexico City 14080, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jes\u00fas","family":"Montoya-Ram\u00edrez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bariatric Surgery Clinic, Centro M\u00e9dico Nacional \u201c20 de Noviembre\u201d, Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, Mexico City 03104, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2098-5658","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juan Antonio","family":"Su\u00e1rez-Cuenca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Experimental Metabolism and Clinical Research, Department of Clinical Research, Centro M\u00e9dico Nacional \u201c20 de Noviembre\u201d, Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, Mexico City 03104, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1480-7740","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Enrique","family":"Ortega","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Immunology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biom\u00e9dicas, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1494-7281","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David Ricardo","family":"Orozco-Sol\u00eds","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratorio de Cronobiolog\u00eda, Metabolismo y Envejecimiento, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Gen\u00f3mica, Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n sobre el Envejecimiento-Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional, Mexico City 14330, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniela I.","family":"Uribe-L\u00f3pez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cos\u00edo Villegas, Mexico City 14080, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7941-5468","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda 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