Effect of bariatric surgery on circulating chemerin levels

P>Background Subclinical inflammation in obesity is critical for development of several obesity-associated disorders. We set out to investigate the effect of pronounced weight loss on circulating chemerin levels, a chemoattractant protein that also influences adipose cell function by paracrine and autocrine mechanisms. Material and methods Thirty-two obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery were tested before and on an average of 18 months after gastric banding or gastric bypass surgery. Results Pronounced weight loss after bariatric surgery was accompanied by improvements in parameters of lipid and glucose metabolism and increased adiponectin levels. Chemoattractant chemerin significantly decreased from 175 center dot 91 +/- 24 center dot 50 to 145 center dot 53 +/- 26 center dot 44 ng mL-1 after bariatric surgery (P < 0 center dot 01). Concomitantly, hs-CRP as a marker of subclinical inflammation was significantly reduced after weight reduction (P < 0 center dot 01). Conclusions We hypothesize that weight-loss induced reduction in circulating chemerin might in conjunction with other factors be associated with diminished recruitment of macrophages in adipose tissue and reduction of subclinical inflammation, which again could partly explain beneficial long-term effects of weight reduction in obese subjects.