FABP4 Expression in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Is Independently Associated with Circulating Triglycerides in Obesity

Figures

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  Figure 1. Analysis of WAT fibrosis and fat cell size distribution in Ob-NTG and Ob-HTG subjects. (A) Comparison of histological pericellular fibrosis and representative images. Data are presented as the mean ratio of fibrous tissue area stained with picrosirius red/total tissue surface. (B) Comparison of mean adipocyte area and representative images. (C,D) Frequency distribution analysis of fat cell areas divided by size into bin intervals of 200 µm2 and size quartiles in SAT (C) and VAT (D). Data are presented as means ± SD. Ob-NTG, subjects with severe obesity and normotriglyceridemia; Ob-HTG, subjects with severe obesity and hypertriglyceridemia; SAT, subcutaneous adipose tissue; VAT, visceral adipose tissue. * = p < 0.05.

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  Figure 2. Expression analysis of genes implicated in lipid metabolism. (A) Gene expression levels in SAT. (B) Gene expression levels in VAT. Data are presented as the median (IQR). Ob-NTG, subjects with severe obesity and normotriglyceridemia; Ob-HTG, subjects with severe obesity and hypertriglyceridemia; SAT, subcutaneous adipose tissue; VAT, visceral adipose tissue. * = p < 0.05; ** = p < 0.01.

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  Figure 3. Comparison of SAT-FABP4 mRNA levels between groups and regression analysis with circulating TG levels. (A) FABP4 expression in SAT from normotriglyceridemic non-obese (Non-Ob), normotriglyceridemic obese (Ob-NTG) and hypertriglyceridemic obese (Ob-HTG) individuals. Data are presented as median with interquartile range. Kruskal–Wallis H(3) = 10.32, p = 0.005. (B) Simple regression analysis between SAT-FABP4 expression and TG levels in subjects with (Ob) and without obesity (non-Ob). Scatterplot presents crude, non-adjusted, relationships. (C) Regression analysis between SAT-FABP4 expression and TG levels in obese subjects with or without MAFLD. Simple linear regression (solid line) and 95% confidence interval (dashed line) are shown. p-values are adjusted for BMI, HbA1c, creatinine, GGT and statin treatment. * = p < 0.05; ** = p < 0.01.