The accumulation of triglycerides in the bloodstream is felt as an attack by the body, which will set up the same defense mechanisms as to fight a bacterial infection.
We know that inflammation can play a major role in many chronic diseases. However, inflammation is not only caused by bacterial and viral infections. Certain fat molecules in the blood can also cause inflammation. Patients with high blood lipids are more likely to die prematurely from kidney or vascular disease; this is the result of a study made by researchers from the University of Saarland (Germany) and published in Nature Immunology.
Triglycerides modify defense cells
The link between blood fat and inflammation has been established by a research team led by Timo Speer and his team. Together they showed how fat molecules interact with cells in the body and cause damage to the immune system. The link between blood cholesterol and heart health is well known.
Timo Speer, head of the Saarland University Vascular Biology Working Group and lead author of the paper, says his team studied a specific lipid group, called triglycerides. When these natural fats are present in large quantities, they can alter our defense cells so that our body reacts as it would to a bacterial infection. This triggers inflammation that can damage the kidneys or cause atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries due to deposits on the inside lining of the artery). Additionally, this reaction can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Low-fat diet to counter inflammation
The study, which was conducted on a large scale, showed that people with high blood triglyceride levels were at greater risk of dying prematurely than those with similar medical histories. For Timo Speer, “eating a low-fat diet can prolong the life expectancy of high-risk patients, such as diabetics or people with high blood pressure.”
Conversely, a high-fat diet leads to increased triglyceride levels. “As a result of biochemical changes, triglycerides develop toxic properties that activate the body’s innate immune system. This triggers a series of self-destructive processes, including those in which arterial walls are attacked and blood vessels are clogged, reducing blood flow,” says Timo Speer.
Paving the way for new therapies
The researcher hopes to develop new strategies and interventions for life-threatening kidney and heart disease, after his study establishes a specific link between chronic inflammation caused by high triglyceride levels and these medical conditions.
This study is one of the results of a wide range of research carried out within the framework of an inter-regional collaboration between Saarland University and RWTH Aachen University. Their joint work aims to determine which cardiac and vascular disorders can be caused by chronic kidney disease. The research program is funded by the German Research Foundation with €10 million over three years.
.