ANGPTL8 is upregulated in subcutaneous adipose tissue at early term after bariatric surgery in patients living with obesity

Objective: Our aim is to study proteomic and transcriptomic changes in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT) from patients living with severe obesity at early term after bariatric surgery (BS). Methods: Twenty-two sWAT biopsies were collected at the time of surgery and 3 months afterward (11 for each point and from the same patient). Clinical data and metabolic parameters were measured. Targeted proteomic profiling and RNA sequencing were conducted. Bioinformatic analyses were performed to identify differentially expressed proteins and genes and their associated pathways. Results: Early-term after BS leads to significant reductions in some clinical parameters. Twenty inflammatory proteins, including cytokines, chemokines and immune-regulatory factors were increased after BS. Transcriptomic profiling revealed 277 significantly modulated genes (156 upregulated, 121 downregulated). ANGPTL8 was notably increased after BS and enrichment analyses highlighted its association with extracellular matrix remodelling, insulin signalling pathway, calcium metabolism and energy and lipid metabolism. Conclusions: BS induces early immunological and transcriptomic modulations in sWAT, suggesting a transient pro-inflammatory state and tissue remodelling process. The ANGPTL8 upregulation could play a role in improving metabolic homeostasis at early term after BS. These findings offer new insights into adipose tissue remodelling after BS. Keywords: ANGPTL8; adipose tissue; bariatric surgery; inflammation; obesity.