Abstract
Background and objectives
The global prevalence of severe obesity is a major public health concern due to its association with increased risk of cardiometabolic complications and mortality. Abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) exhibits distinct biomolecular characteristics that contribute to these pathological processes. This study aimed to comprehensively characterize the VAT proteome in severe obesity compared to non-obese controls and investigate its association with serum biomarkers reflecting metabolic health.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 46 patients with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery and 17 healthy non-obese controls. VAT proteomics were analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), while serum metabolites were quantified using nuclear magnetic resonance-based high throughput metabolomics.
Results
LC-MS/MS identified 69 differentially expressed proteins (FDR < 0.01), with 44 downregulated and 25 upregulated in the obese group. Downregulated proteins were associated with carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid metabolism, and energy production. Conversely, upregulated proteins were involved in inflammation, immune activation, cellular stress response, and protein turnover.
Conclusions
These findings provide critical insights into the molecular basis of VAT in obesity, potentially paving the way for targeted therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, the differentially expressed proteins may serve as promising candidates for understanding VAT's role in obesity development.
ClinicalTrials.gov registration numbers: NCT00793143 and NCT01373892.