Description
Bariatric surgery is the most effective therapy of severe human obesity. It is associated with improvements in metabolic and non metabolic co-morbidities which are thought to be mediated by a decrease of adipose tissue inflammation. However, the molecular mechanisms behind these beneficial effects are poorly understood. We analyzed expression profiles in subcutaneous adipose tissue from 22 obese women before and 3 months after surgery using the RNA-seq technology. Of 15,972 detected genes, 1214 were differentially expressed after surgery. Upregulated genes were mostly involved in the basal cellular machinery. Downregulated genes were enriched in metabolic functions of adipose tissue. At baseline, we identified 26 modules of coexpressed genes. The four most stable modules reflected the innate and adaptive immune responses of adipose tissue, including a general signature of innate immune cells, an adaptive immune response elicited by T lymphocytes, a neutrophil-mediated inflammatory signature and an interferon-signaling pathway, respectively. After surgery, a few crucial molecules involved in chemotaxis and activation of immune cells were disconnected from their respective networks. These molecules may represent therapeutic targets against adipose inflammation. Overall design: mRNA sequencing of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) samples from 22 obese women before and 3 months after bariatric surgery