Serum levels of the incretin‐like peptide 26RFa are diminished in women living with obesity and diabetes and restored after sleeve gastrectomy: Results from the prospective pilot RFa‐Ba‐S study

Aim To investigate the evolution of the incretin‐like peptide 26RFa in a prospective cohort of women living with obesity with or without type 2 diabetes (T2D) before and after sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Methods In this study, a total of 61 women were divided into three groups: women living with severe obesity without T2D (WlwOB group), women living with severe obesity and T2D (WlwOB‐T2D group) and lean healthy volunteers (control group). Serum 26RFa concentrations were measured using a 26RFa enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay developed specifically for this study during meal tests before SG, and 30 and 180 days after SG. Results At baseline, serum 26RFa levels were reduced in the WlwOB ( P < .05) and WlwOB‐T2D ( P < .01) groups compared with controls. In the WlwOB‐T2D group, fasting 26RFa levels were found to increase throughout the entire follow‐up period up to 6 months after the SG ( P < .001). During the meal tests, serum 26RFa levels increased, especially in the WlwOB‐T2D group at baseline. At the end of the follow‐up, the profile of 26RFa concentrations obtained during the meal test in patients with severe obesity and T2D was similar to that of the controls. Conclusions This prospective clinical study provides the first evidence that circulating 26RFa is altered mainly in WlwOB‐T2D, and that these defects are partially reversed after SG.