Bariatric Surgery Significantly Reduces Serum Concentration of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A and Increases Apelin-12 in Patients with Morbid Obesity

Introduction and Purpose: Obesity is widely known as a major health risk factor, and bariatric surgery has proved to be a sustainable and effective method to reduce body weight. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether bariatric surgery influences concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and apelin-12 in the serum of obese patients and whether both hormones correlate with the body mass index (BMI). Materials and Methods: Thirty morbidly obese patients involved in the study underwent sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass surgery. Blood samples were obtained preoperatively, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Levels of VEGF-A and apelin-12 in the sera were measured by the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results and Conclusions: The BMI decreased after the bariatric procedure from 51.3 ± 9.1 to 37.5 ± 7.9 kg/m2 (p < 0.0001). VEGF-A concentration significantly decreased from 189.5 ± 17.2 pg/mL preoperatively to 110.8 ± 19.1 pg/mL after 24 months (p < 0.05). The serum concentration of apelin-12 significantly increased from 482.6 ± 66.6 to 2458.3 ± 499.8 pg/mL 2 years after the surgery (p < 0.0001). VEGF-A is positively correlated with the BMI (r = 0.45, p < 0.0001), whereas apelin-12 has a negative correlation with the BMI (r = −0.28, p < 0.01).