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Proinflammatory Cytokines in Obesity: Impact of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Gastric Bypass

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Background

Obesity and obesity-associated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are frequently related to a low-grade chronic inflammatory state, which increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of obesity and T2DM on the concentrations of pro-inflammatory factors and to study the effect of weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP).

Methods

Plasma concentrations of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), serum amyloid A (SAA) and sialic acid (SA) were measured in 25 female volunteers. The concentrations of these cytokines were determined in 14 female obese patients before and after weight loss following RYGBP. Additionally, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) obtained from 15 females was used to quantify expression levels of MCP-1 and CD68 by Real-Time PCR.

Results

Both obese normoglycemic (NG) and T2DM groups exhibited significantly higher MCP-1 (P < 0.05), TNF-α (P < 0.01), SAA (P < 0.05) and SA (P < 0.05) concentrations, compared to the lean group. No differences were found between obese NG and obese T2DM subjects. A significant positive correlation was found between body fat percentage (BF) and all inflammatory markers (P < 0.05) studied. MCP-1 expression levels in VAT were upregulated in obese NG (P = 0.008) and obese T2DM (P = 0.032) patients compared to lean subjects, but no additional detrimental effect of T2DM was observed between both obese groups. After weight loss, SAA (P < 0.001) and SA (P < 0.05) concentrations diminished, whereas circulating levels of MCP-1 showed a tendency to decrease (P = 0.093) and TNF-α did not change.

Conclusion

The present findings suggest that elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels found in obese patients relate mainly to obesity rather than to T2DM. Moreover, surgery-induced weight loss reduces circulating concentrations of key pro-inflammatory factors, which contribute to the improvement in the cardiovascular co-morbidity following excess weight loss.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Metabolic Research Laboratory, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Victoria Catalán PhD, Javier Gómez-Ambrosi PhD, Beatriz Ramirez, Amaia Rodríguez PhD & Gema Frühbeck RNutr, MD, PhD

  2. Department of Surgery, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Fernando Rotellar MD, Carlos Pastor MD & Javier A. Cienfuegos MD, PhD

  3. Department of Endocrinology, Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, University of Navarra, Avda. Pío XII, 36 31008, Pamplona, Spain

    Camilo Silva MD & Gema Frühbeck RNutr, MD, PhD

  4. Department of Biochemistry, Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    María J. Gil PhD

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  1. Victoria Catalán PhD
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Correspondence to Gema Frühbeck RNutr, MD, PhD.

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Catalán, V., Gómez-Ambrosi, J., Ramirez, B. et al. Proinflammatory Cytokines in Obesity: Impact of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Gastric Bypass. OBES SURG 17, 1464–1474 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-008-9424-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-008-9424-z

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