Work

Transcriptomic analysis of adipose tissue reveals adipogenesis is modulated by the degree of weight loss in patients with obesity

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Obesity is a complex condition with a diverse presentation and highly variable response to treatment. It is increasingly evident that obesity requires a plethora of interventions informed by biomarkers to optimise the chance of success. Adipose tissue is a metabolically active endocrine tissue and its metabolic response to intervention has the potential to provide key information to design targeted treatments to tackle obesity. To this aim, this study sought to identify, through transcriptomics analysis, common elements between adipose tissue of those undergoing bariatric surgery to those who were successful in losing weight through a lifestyle intervention. METHODS AND RESULTS: Transcriptomic data from Gene Expression Omnibus were extracted from three bariatric surgery interventions and three lifestyle interventions. Paired linear mixed modelling using the limma package in R was used to determine differentially expressed genes before and after the interventions. Unpaired linear mixed modelling was used to determine differentially expressed genes between high and low responders to the intervention. Differentially modulated pathways were analysed with PathVisio and downloaded for graphic representation from the WikiPathways database. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that successful lifestyle interventions and bariatric surgery share the modulation of the Adipogenesis pathway (WP236). Leptin expression was positively correlated with weight loss, only up to a 10 % weight loss, suggesting a possible involvement of its dysregulation in explaining individual propensity to weight regain and potentially indicating who requires a targeted intervention. We also identify an interesting relationship between RBL2 expression and weight loss that requires further investigation.

Source: Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases

DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2025.104093

Authors: Kaitlin J. Day, Vivian Ballestro, Linghan Mei, Chiara Murgia

Institutions: RMIT University, The University of Melbourne

Language: English

Topic: Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,000