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DNA Methylation and Hydroxymethylation Levels in Relation to Two Weight Loss Strategies: Energy-Restricted Diet or Bariatric Surgery

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Abstract

Background

Weight loss can be influenced by genetic factors and epigenetic mechanisms that participate in the regulation of body weight. This study aimed to investigate whether the weight loss induced by two different obesity treatments (energy restriction or bariatric surgery) may affect global DNA methylation (LINE-1) and hydroxymethylation profile, as well as the methylation patterns in inflammatory genes.

Methods

This study encompassed women from three differents groups: 1. control group (n = 9), normal weight individuals; 2. energy restriction group (n = 22), obese patients following an energy-restricted Mediterranean-based dietary treatment (RESMENA); and 3. bariatric surgery group (n = 14), obese patients underwent a hypocaloric diet followed by bariatric surgery. Anthropometric measurements and 12-h fasting blood samples were collected before the interventions and after 6 months. Lipid and glucose biomarkers, global hydroxymethylation (by ELISA), LINE-1, SERPINE-1, and IL-6 (by MS-HRM) methylation levels were assessed in all participants.

Results

Baseline LINE-1 methylation was associated with serum glucose levels whereas baseline hydroxymethylation was associated with BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. LINE-1 and SERPINE-1 methylation levels did not change after weight loss, whereas IL-6 methylation increased after energy restriction and decreased in the bariatric surgery group. An association between SERPINE-1 methylation and weight loss responses was found.

Conclusions

Global DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation might be biomarkers for obesity and associated comorbidities. Depending on the obesity treatment (diet or surgery), the DNA methylation patterns behave differently. Baseline SERPINE-1 methylation may be a predictor of weight loss values after bariatric surgery.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Verónica Ciáurriz for the technical assistant. This work was supported by grant no. 2014/04902-1 and no. 2013/08916-4 from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Brazil; the Spanish Government (CIBERobn Network and the Nutrigenio project, ref. AGL2013-45554-R); and the Government of Navarra (RESMENA project; ref. 48/2009) and IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Statement of Informed Consent (When Reporting Studies That Involve Human Participants)

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Statement of Human and Animal Rights

This research was approved by the appropriate Ethical Committes in Spain and Brazil. Also, the updated guidelines of the Helsinki declaration and EU regulations were strictly followed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    Carolina Ferreira Nicoletti, Carla Barbosa Nonino, Bruno Affonso Parenti de Oliveira & Marcela Augusta de Souza Pinhel

  2. Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008, Pamplona, Spain

    Maria Luisa Mansego, Fermin Ignacio Milagro, Maria Angeles Zulet & José Alfredo Martinez

  3. Centre for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

    Fermin Ignacio Milagro, Maria Angeles Zulet & José Alfredo Martinez

  4. CIBERobn Fisiología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

    Fermin Ignacio Milagro, Maria Angeles Zulet & José Alfredo Martinez

  5. IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain

    Maria Angeles Zulet & José Alfredo Martinez

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  1. Carolina Ferreira Nicoletti
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  2. Carla Barbosa Nonino
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  8. José Alfredo Martinez
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Correspondence to José Alfredo Martinez.

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Nicoletti, C.F., Nonino, C.B., de Oliveira, B.A.P. et al. DNA Methylation and Hydroxymethylation Levels in Relation to Two Weight Loss Strategies: Energy-Restricted Diet or Bariatric Surgery. OBES SURG 26, 603–611 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-015-1802-8

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