Effects of marked weight loss on plasma levels of adiponectin, markers of chronic subclinical inflammation and insulin resistance in morbidly obese women

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is linked to the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS), type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease. Markers of chronic subclinical inflammation such as high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) are closely related to insulin resistance and obesity. Recent evidence suggests that adiponectin, a protein whose circulating levels are decreased in obesity, has anti-inflammatory properties, and also appears to enhance potently insulin action and therefore appears to function as a signal produced by adipose tissue that influences whole-body glucose metabolism. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We investigated the cross-sectional and longitudinal association of adiponectin with CRP and IL-6 in 41 morbidly obese women with different stages of glucose tolerance before and 17 months after significant weight loss induced by gastric surgery. Adiponectin was measured by RIA. CRP and IL-6 were determined by commercially available ELISA systems. RESULTS: Weight loss induced a significant shift from T2D (preoperatively 34% vs postoperatively 2%) to impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (37% preoperatively vs 30% postoperatively) and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) (29% preoperatively vs 68% postoperatively). Preoperatively adiponectin levels were negatively correlated with CRP ( r =−0.59, P