Many chronic conditions such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type-2 diabetes, obesity, peripheral/coronary artery disease and auto-immune diseases are associated with low-grade inflammation. Closely related to inflammation is oxidative stress (OS), which can be either causal or secondary to inflammation. While a low level of OS is physiological, chronically increased OS is deleterious. Therefore, valid biomarkers of these signalling pathways may enable detection and following progression of OS/inflammation as well as to evaluate treatment efficacy. Such biomarkers should be stable and obtainable through non-invasive methods and their determination should be affordable and easy. The most frequently used inflammatory markers include acute-phase proteins, essentially CRP, serum amyloid A, fibrinogen and procalcitonin, and cytokines, predominantly TNFα, interleukins 1β, 6, 8, 10 and 12 and their receptors and IFNγ. Some cytokines appear to be disease-specific. Conversely, OS—being ubiquitous—and its biomarkers appear less disease or tissue-specific. These include lipid peroxidation products, e.g., F2-isoprostanes and malondialdehyde, DNA breakdown products (e.g., 8-OH-dG), protein adducts (e.g., carbonylated proteins), or antioxidant status. More novel markers include also –omics related ones, as well as non-invasive, questionnaire-based measures, such as the dietary inflammatory-index (DII), but their link to biological responses may be variable. Nevertheless, many of these markers have been clearly related to a number of diseases. However, their use in clinical practice is often limited, due to lacking analytical or clinical validation, or technical challenges. In this review, we strive to highlight frequently employed and useful markers of inflammation-related OS, including novel promising markers.

Background Local adipose tissue (AT) cooling is used to manage obesity and overweight, but the mechanism is unclear. The current view is that acute local cooling of AT induces adipocyte cell disruption and inflammation (“cryolipolysis”) that lead to adipocyte cell death, with loss of subcutaneous fat being recorded over a prolonged period of weeks/months. A contrasting view is that AT loss via targeted cryotherapy might be mediated by thermogenic fat metabolism without cell disruption. Methods In this retrospective study of individuals presenting for cryotherapy to the Clinic BioEsthetic, Paris, France, we recorded waist circumference, body weight, and body mass index (BMI) by direct measurement and by whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric scanning. In select individuals, blood analysis of markers of inflammation and fat mobilization was performed before and after the procedure. Results We report that (i) single sessions of tissue cryotherapy lead to significant loss of tissue volume in the time frame of hours and (ii) multiple daily procedures lead to a cumulative decline in AT, as assessed by waist circumference, body weight, and BMI, confirmed by whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric scanning. In addition, (iii) blood analysis following tissue cryotherapy found no significant changes in biochemical parameters including markers of inflammation. Moreover, (iv) calculations of heat extracted and of compensatory weight loss taking place through thermogenesis are substantially consistent with the observed loss of AT. Conclusions These findings argue that cold-induced thermogenesis (“cryothermogenesis”) rather than adipocyte disruption underlies the reduction in AT volume, raising the prospect that more intensive cryotherapy may be a viable option for combating obesity and overweight.

Abstract. The worldwide population is facing a double burden of epidemic, the COVID-19 and obesity. This is even more alarming as obesity increases the COVID-19 severity. However, the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 severity is more complex than a simple association with BMI. In particular, obesity has been associated with low death rates in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, a fatal comorbidity to COVID-19, possibly due to the obesity paradox. Also, visceral adiposity could be a major risk factor for COVID-19 severity, due to its immune activation component, release of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and involvement in the cytokine storm, hypercoagulability and embolism. A poor antioxidant nutritional status also weakens the immune system, increasing inflammation and infection risk. Moreover, the COVID-19 lockdown might impact lifestyle patterns, mental health and weight bias, worsening the obesity then COIVD-19 situation. On the other hand, health care expenses and productivity loss are expected to increase during the concomitant epidemics. The co-occurrence of obesity and COVID-19 is a major challenge at both public health and economic levels that should urgently be taken into consideration. The identification of COVID-19 weight related risk factors and the development of appropriate weight management programs are needed to tackle the concomitant epidemics.

We appreciate the commentary by Mrakic-Sposta et al [...]

Background: Cryolipolysis is a noninvasive method that allows selective reduction of adipose tissue. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of cryothermogenesis, the repetitive applications of cryotherapy, in body contouring of the abdomen and saddlebag areas. Methods: Thirty participants were included in the study. Premenopausal women with an overload of subcutaneous abdominal and saddlebag adipose tissue were enrolled. For each participant, five cryothermogenesis sessions were carried out using a medical device equipped with two cooling probes. The primary endpoint was metric measurement. The secondary endpoints were the measurement of subcutaneous fat mass using a Lunar iDXA whole-body scanner (GE Healthcare, Madison, Wis.) and a metabolic assessment conducted before treatment and 15 days after treatment. Results: The mean age of participants was 36.72 ± 7 years. Participants had different phototypes and an average body mass index of 23.0 ± 1.41 kg/m2. A decrease in body mass index was observed 3 months after the last session; the body mass index dropped to 20.5 ± 2.1 kg/m2 (p = 0.004 compared to baseline). Waist measurements showed a significant decrease, with an average loss of 4.1 cm after 15 days and 4.62 cm after 3 months. Concerning the circumference of saddlebags, a decrease was observed 3 months after treatment. These results were confirmed by iDXA computed tomographic measurements, showing a significant fat mass reduction in the treated areas. Conclusion: The results indicate that subcutaneous fat in the abdomen and saddlebags was reduced after five successive cryothermogenesis sessions, without any complications, in a cohort of participants with different phototypes. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.