Objective: This study aimed to compare cytokine and adipokine levels in patients with obesity with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D) at baseline and 6 months after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) with healthy controls.
Methods: A total of 34 patients (21 with T2D) with BMI of 30 to 45 kg/m2 were compared with 25 healthy controls without obesity. Cytokines, adipokines, and peptides of relevance for inflammation and metabolism were analyzed in plasma.
Results: Significant decreases in weight and glycated hemoglobin A1c were observed. At baseline, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IFN-β, IL-18, leptin, and hepatocyte growth factor were higher in all patients with obesity compared with healthy controls. In patients without T2D, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-2, IL-15, and visfatin were also increased, whereas bone morphogenic protein-4 was decreased. Following RYGB, IL-6 and hepatocyte growth factor were still increased in both groups compared with controls. In T2D patients, IFN-β, IL-27, IL-1α, IL-2, regenerating islet-derived protein 3A, visfatin, and osteopontin were found to be increased. In patients without T2D, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-2, IL-15, leptin, and visfatin remained increased.
Conclusions: The altered cytokine profile of patients with obesity persisted after RYGB despite large weight loss and improved metabolic status, thus reflecting an inherent inflammatory state.
© 2021 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).