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Scientists believe they may have uncovered a key reason why obese people have a raised risk of health complications such as type 2 diabetes. They blame a specific protein called pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), which is secreted by fat cells.

Research on mice suggests blocking some of PEDF’s action may reverse some complications.

Because PEDF is produced by fat cells, people who are overweight have higher levels of the protein in the bloodstream. The protein sends a signal to other tissues in the body, triggering development of insulin resistance in the muscles and liver.

Raised PEDF levels were also linked to a release of fats into the bloodstream, raising the risk of complications such as heart disease.

An inflammatory factor already linked to several diseases, including pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and arthritis, may also be responsible for the insulin resistance that comes with obesity, according to a new study.

Researchers have found that the inflammatory chemokine known as CXCL5 rises and falls along with obesity and weight loss in humans. They also found evidence tying the inflammatory factor, which is secreted at high levels by fat tissue, to insulin resistance in mice.

Treatments designed to block CXCL5 were found to improve the animals’ sensitivity to insulin.

CXCR5 affect a variety of cells including muscle cells, cells that line blood vessel walls and cells in the lung and intestine. This means that increased CXCL5 circulating levels, as observed in obesity, could also lead to other problems such as atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases.