Abstract
This study aimed to explore potential biomarkers and mechanisms following bariatric surgery. Two gene expression profiles from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were analysed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) post-bariatric surgery. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene-Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network analyses were employed to identify hub genes and associated pathways. Among the DEGs, 29 genes were downregulated. Enrichment analysis revealed that the downregulated DEGs significantly participated in inflammatory responses. GSEA provided comprehensive evidence that most genes were enriched in pro-inflammatory pathways before surgery, while after surgery, most genes were enriched in metabolism. In the PPI network, five key genes, including TREM2, MNDA, HP, C5AR1, and S100A8, were identified, with most validated as highly expressed in obesity by the Attie Lab Diabetes and another dataset, GSE72158. Bariatric surgery induces a significant shift from an obesity-promoting inflammatory state to an anti-inflammatory state, accompanied by improvements in adipocyte metabolic function. This represents a key mechanism for the enhancement of adipose tissue function following bariatric surgery. This study deepens the understanding of the benefits of bariatric surgery and provides potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets.