Investigation of serum and adipose tissue levels of asprosin in patients with severe obesity undergoing sleeve gastrectomy.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to reveal the relationship between obesity and asprosin (fibrillin-1) in patients undergoing bariatric surgery and to investigate the role of asprosin in obesity etiopathogenesis.

METHODS

The study included 37 patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for severe obesity and 37 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis in the study and control groups, respectively. Blood samples were collected from the patients in the preoperative period to measure biochemical parameters. Blood samples were collected at 6 months postoperatively from the patients in the study group to compare their pre- and postoperative serum asprosin levels.

RESULTS

A significant intergroup difference in terms of mean asprosin levels in adipose tissue was noted (p = 0.001). A comparison of preoperative and postoperative 6-month serum asprosin levels in the study group showed significant differences (p = 0.021). The area under the curve of asprosin tissue levels was 78.1%, and the cutoff value was 217.34 ng/g of protein, with a sensitivity and specificity of 73.0%. Tissue levels of asprosin were found to increase the risk of obesity by a factor of 1.018 (odds ratio; 95% CI: 1.008-1.027).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum asprosin levels decreased significantly at 6 months after bariatric surgery. Adipose tissue of patients with obesity showed high asprosin levels and immunoreactivity. In conclusion, asprosin levels in adipose tissue were considered a potential independent risk factor in obesity etiopathogenesis.