Key result
Waist circumference, hypertension, and diabetes link to distinct omental fat gene expression profiles in women.
Why the study?
Obesity causes massive expansion and enhanced inflammation in visceral adipose tissue, prompting investigation into whether inflammatory marker expression in visceral omental fat correlates with visceral adiposity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension.
Cross-Sectional (n=134)
No
These correlations should not alter clinical practice; extends visceral fat inflammation links while highlighting medication and diabetes confounders in observational data.
OBJECTIVE: A major consequence of obesity is the enormous expansion of and enhanced inflammatory response seen in visceral adipose tissue. I hypothesized that the expression of inflammatory markers in visceral omental fat would correlate with the extent of visceral adiposity as measured by waist circumference or body mass index and that diabetes and hypertension, defined as subjects taking anti-hypertensive drugs, would be associated with changes in mRNA expression in visceral fat. DESIGN AND METHODS: The expression of 106 mRNAs by RT-PCR was examined in observational studies using extracts of omental fat of obese women undergoing bariatric surgery as well as the circulating levels of some adipokines. We also compared the mRNA levels of 65 proteins in omental fat removed during gastric bypass surgery of women with and without hypertension and those with type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: Out of 106 mRNAs the expression of 10 mRNAs in omental fat of women not taking anti-hypertensive drugs correlated with waist circumference while 7 different mRNAs had significant correlations with circulating glucose. The correlations of waist circumference with mRNA expression were abolished, except for interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), in women taking anti-hypertensive drugs. The correlations of blood glucose with omental fat mRNA expression were abolished, except for that of Akt1 and Akt2, in women taking anti-hypertensive drugs. However, the expression of 4 different mRNAs in omental fat was affected by circulating glucose in subjects taking anti-hypertensive drugs. The circulating levels of IL-1 RA, but not fatty acid binding protein 4, adipsin and phospholipase A2, correlated with both waist circumference and mRNA expression in omental fat. CONCLUSION: In female bariatric surgery patients, the mRNA expression of some proteins in omental fat was affected by the degree of obesity, whereas hypertension and diabetes affected a separate set of mRNAs.Nutrition and Diabetes (2011) 1, e17; doi:10.1038/nutd.2011.14; published online 26 September 2011.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
John N. Fain (2011) conducted a cross-sectional in Extreme obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes (n=134). Obesity (waist circumference/BMI), anti-hypertensive medication use, and type 2 diabetes (fasting blood glucose >125 mg/dl) vs. Obese control women not taking anti-hypertensive medications and with fasting blood glucose <=125 mg/dl was evaluated on mRNA expression of 106 genes in visceral omental adipose tissue and circulating levels of 18 adipokines. Waist circumference correlated with 10 of 106 omental fat mRNAs (including IL-1RA, r=0.45, P=0.003) in obese control women, whereas anti-hypertensive use and diabetes altered distinct sets of mRNAs.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: