Patients who received sleeve gastrectomy have lower plasma osteopontin levels than those who did not

TL;DR

Sleeve gastrectomy patients have lower plasma osteopontin levels compared to non-surgical patients, suggesting a new metabolic benefit of the surgery.

Contribution

The study reveals a previously unknown metabolic effect of sleeve gastrectomy on plasma osteopontin levels.

Findings

Plasma osteopontin levels were significantly lower in post-sleeve gastrectomy patients.

A strong correlation between plasma HGF and OPN levels was observed in surgical patients.

Despite reduced local OPN expression in adipose tissue, circulating OPN levels increased after surgery.

Abstract

•Obesity causes higher plasma OPN levels and higher expression of OPN in adipose tissue.•OPN and HGF are promising biomarkers that can be used to detect problems related to obesity.•Patients in the early post-SG period had lower plasma OPN and similar plasma HGF compared to nonsurgical patients.•After bariatric surgery, despite down-regulation of local OPN expression in adipose tissue, a significant increase in circulating OPN concentrations occurs

Obesity causes higher plasma OPN levels and higher expression of OPN in adipose tissue.

OPN and HGF are promising biomarkers that can be used to detect problems related to obesity.

Patients in the early post-SG period had lower plasma OPN and similar plasma HGF compared to nonsurgical patients.

After bariatric surgery, despite down-regulation of local OPN expression in adipose tissue, a significant increase in circulating OPN concentrations occurs

The aim of this study was to compare metabolic parameters, plasma Osteopontin (OPN) and Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) levels between Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG) patients in their 6th post-operation month and healthy control patients.

Height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) and laboratory parameters of 58 SG patients aged 18‒65 years (Group 1) and 46 healthy control patients (Group 2) were compared. In addition, preoperative and postoperative sixth-month BMI and laboratory parameters of the patients in Group 1 were compared.

The mean age and gender distributions of the groups were similar (p > 0.05). Mean BMI was 28.9 kg/m2 in Group 1 and 27 kg/m2 in Group 2 (p < 0.01). While plasma HGF levels were similar between both groups, plasma OPN levels were higher in Group 2 (p < 0.001). Fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting plasma insulin and insulin resistance values were higher in Group 1, while alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were higher in Group 2 (p < 0.05). There was a strong correlation between plasma HGF and OPN levels in Group 1, but not in Group 2 (Rho = 0.805, p < 0.001).

OPN and HGF are promising biomarkers that can be used to better understand and detect problems related to obesity. The fact that patients in the early post-SG period had lower plasma OPN and similar plasma HGF compared to non-surgical patients of similar age and gender with higher BMI may be another favorable and previously unknown metabolic effect of SG.

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