Adipose tissue is the most abundant endocrine tissue in the body, producing leptin, a hormone important in regulating hunger, and adiponectin, a hormone involved in insulin sensitivity and inflammation. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of gastric bypass surgery (GBS) on leptin levels and its relation to omental adiponectin expression. Methods: Omental fat biopsies and plasma were obtained from 40 obese patients undergoing laparoscopic GBS, 12 patients one year post-GBS, and 16 normal weight individuals (BMI 20-29). Adiponectin gene expression was measured by quantitative real time PCR and the gene expression was normalized for the GAPDH gene. Leptin was measured by a high-sensitivity assay. Results: Leptin levels were significantly lower in the post-GBS patients as compared to pre-GBS patients (19.8±6.7 vs 59.0±5.1, p=0.0001) and similar to normal weight controls (19.8±6.7 vs 18.2±4, p=0.8). As shown in the Figure, after adjusting for confounding factors, the multivariate analysis revealed that there is a inverse correlation between leptin levels and omental adiponectin expression (r=-0.32, p=0.01). Conclusions: Gastric bypass surgery results in resolution of the leptin resistance status that characterizes obese subjects. Furthermore, we are the first group to report that leptin levels inversely correlated with omental gene expression of adiponectin.
Session: Podium Presentation
Program Number: S039