Unraveling adipose tissue proteomic landscapes in severe obesity: insights into metabolic complications and potential biomarkers.

In this study, we aimed to comprehensively characterize the proteomic landscapes of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in patients with severe obesity, to establish their associations with clinical characteristics, and to identify potential serum protein biomarkers indicative of tissue-specific alterations or metabolic states. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 32 patients with severe obesity (16 males and 16 females) of Central European descent who underwent bariatric surgery. Clinical parameters and body composition were assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and bioelectrical impedance, with 15 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and 17 with hypertension. Paired SAT and VAT samples, along with serum samples, were subjected to state-of-the-art proteomics liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Our analysis identified 7,284 proteins across SAT and VAT, with 1,249 differentially expressed proteins between the tissues and 1,206 proteins identified in serum. Correlation analyses between differential protein expression and clinical traits suggest a significant role of SAT in the pathogenesis of obesity and related metabolic complications. Specifically, the SAT proteomic profile revealed marked alterations in metabolic pathways and processes contributing to tissue fibrosis and inflammation. Although we do not establish a definitive causal relationship, it appears that VAT might respond to SAT metabolic dysfunction by potentially enhancing mitochondrial activity and expanding its capacity. However, when this adaptive response is exceeded, it could possibly contribute to insulin resistance (IR) and in some cases, it may be associated with the progression to T2D. Our findings provide critical insights into the molecular foundations of SAT and VAT in obesity and may inform the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study provides insights into distinct proteomic profiles of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and serum in patients with severe obesity and their associations with clinical traits and body composition. It underscores SAT's crucial role in obesity development and related complications, such as insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Our findings emphasize the importance of understanding the SAT and VAT balance in energy homeostasis, proteostasis, and the potential role of SAT capacity in the development of metabolic disorders.

Current bariatric-metabolic surgery.

Obesity is a well-known phenomenon of recent times in adult and pediatric population, as well. It has been proved, that numerous comorbidities are in a different way connected with obesity. Conservative treatment of obesity is the domain of obesitologists, diabetologists, nutritionists and psychologists, as well. Great part of the conservative treatment of obesity lies on the experts on physical activities. Surgical treatment is dedicated to the patients with severe obesity. It is targeted not only at the weight reduction, but also, or at first, at the impact on comorbidities. There are standard procedures defined and they represent substantial part of performed procedures. Novel surgical and endoscopic procedures are introduced into the practice. There are many of them. So far neither of these procedures achieve comparable effectivity and durability with standard procedures in a long-time horizon. The aim of this paper is to present standard surgical procedures, to mention novel ones, surgical and endoscopic, as well. The procedures are presented with respect to the pediatric population too.

Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor as a Rare Cause of an Incarcerated Epigastric Linea Alba Hernia: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor is a very rare soft tissue sarcoma with a bleak prognosis and short patient survival. The most common occurrence is in 20-30-year-old men. Our study presents the case report of a 40-year-old patient who was diagnosed with this sarcoma. The first symptom of the illness was an incarcerated epigastric hernia with sarcoma metastasis resembling an intestinal loop in an ultrasound image. The fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method showed a fusion of the EWS and WT1 genes. Systemic palliative chemotherapy using the VDC-IE (vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and etoposide) regimen was chosen instead of further surgery due to the disease's generalization. However, the therapy failed to halt the disease progression and was thus terminated after 18 months. The patient's overall survival was 19 months. The rare character of this disease complicates the diagnostics in clinical practice. Nevertheless, rare sarcomas should be considered in patients with non-specific abdominal symptoms, including patients with incarcerated ventral hernia.

Acute Pericarditis as a Complication of Hiatal Hernia Perforation.

Acute pericarditis is a serious and potentially fatal disease in which a diagnostic workup is not always straightforward. Hiatal hernia, on the other hand, is often asymptomatic and can be easily diagnosed if symptomatic. In advanced forms of hiatal hernia, oppression of intrathoracic organs and heart failure can occur. In uncommon cases, the large intestine can also be translocated into the chest cavity, and very rarely, it can be perforated with the development of mediastinitis and/or pericarditis. We report the case of a 74-year-old female with a 1.5-month history of chest pain with elevated inflammatory markers. This patient was empirically treated with antibiotics for suspected pneumonia. After a few weeks, due to a worsening of the patient's condition, an echocardiogram and then a CT of the chest were performed, showing a large hiatal hernia and a very probable purulent pericarditis, necessitating a surgical exploration. A cardiac surgeon found stercoral contents in the pericardium, with a fistula at the apex of the heart. The operation continued with an exploration of the abdominal cavity; the general surgeon returned the massive hiatal hernia to the abdomen, the contents of which were the stomach and transverse colon. An extensive perforation in the transverse colon was found. Lavage, drainage, and resection of the affected part of the intestine were performed, and a permanent (terminal) colostomy was constructed. The patient was in severe septic shock with multiorgan failure and died 10 hours after surgery despite maximal therapy. This case highlights the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation and the importance of considering the possible fistula in the co-occurrence of hiatal hernia and pericarditis.

Sarcopenia and adipose tissue evaluation by artificial intelligence predicts the overall survival after TAVI.

Sarcopenia is a serious systemic disease that reduces overall survival. TAVI is selectively performed in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not indicated for open cardiac surgery due to severe polymorbidity. Artificial intelligence-assisted body composition assessment from available CT scans appears to be a simple tool to stratify these patients into low and high risk based on future estimates of all-cause mortality. Within our study, the segmentation of preprocedural CT scans at the level of the lumbar third vertebra in patients undergoing TAVI was performed using a neural network (AutoMATiCA). The obtained parameters (area and density of skeletal muscles and intramuscular, visceral, and subcutaneous adipose tissue) were analyzed using Cox univariate and multivariable models for continuous and categorical variables to assess the relation of selected variables with all-cause mortality. 866 patients were included (median(interquartile range)): age 79.7 (74.9-83.3) years; BMI 28.9 (25.9-32.6) kg/m2. Survival analysis was performed on all automatically obtained parameters of muscle and fat density and area. Skeletal muscle index (SMI in cm2/m2), visceral (VAT in HU) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT in HU) density predicted the all-cause mortality in patients after TAVI expressed as hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI): SMI HR 0.986, 95% CI (0.975-0.996); VAT 1.015 (1.002-1.028) and SAT 1.014 (1.004-1.023), all p < 0.05. Automatic body composition assessment can estimate higher all-cause mortality risk in patients after TAVI, which may be useful in preoperative clinical reasoning and stratification of patients.

Validation of arteriovenous access stage (AVAS) classification: a prospective, international multicentre study.

Background: The arteriovenous access stage (AVAS) classification provides evaluation of upper extremity vessels for vascular access (VA) suitability. It divides patients into classes within three main groups: suitable for native fistula (AVAS1) or prosthetic graft (AVAS2), and patients not suitable for conventional native or prosthetic VA (AVAS3). We validated this system on a prospective dataset. Methods: A prospective, international observational study (NCT04796558) involved 11 centres from 8 countries. Patient recruitment was from March 2021 to January 2024. Demographic data, risk factors, vessels parameters, VA types, AVAS class and early VA failure were collected. Percentage agreement was used to assess predictive ability of AVAS (comparison of AVAS and created VA) and consistency of AVAS assessment between evaluators. Pearson's Chi-squared test was used for comparison of early failure rate of conventional (predicted by AVAS) and unconventional (not predicted by AVAS) VA. Results: From 1034 enrolled patients, 935 had arteriovenous fistula or graft, 99 patients did not undergo VA creation due opting for alternative renal replacement therapies, experiencing health complications, death or non-compliance. AVAS1 had 91.2%, AVAS2 7.2% and AVAS3 1.6% of patients. Agreement between evaluators was 89%. The most frequently created VAs were radial-cephalic (46%) and brachial-cephalic (27%) fistulae. The accuracy of AVAS versus created access was 79%. In comparison, VA predicted by clinicians versus created access was 62.1%. Inaccuracy of AVAS prediction was more common with higher AVAS classes, and the most common reason for inaccuracy was creation of distal VA despite less favourable anatomy (17%). Patients with unconventional VA had higher early failure rate than patients with conventional VA (20% vs 9.3%, respectively, P = .002). Conclusion: AVAS is effective in predicting VA creation, but overall accuracy is reduced at higher AVAS classes when the complexity of decision-making increases and proximal vessels require preservation. When AVAS was followed by clinicians, early failure was significantly decreased.

Prevention of sarcopenia in patients with obesity after bariatric and metabolic surgery: The effect of programmed training on the muscle tissue and anthropometric functions - A randomized controlled trial (SarxOb study protocol).

Obesity is a serious metabolic disease that significantly increases cardiovascular risks and other health complications. Sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality in patients suffering from obesity that increases the health risks and is associated with cardiac, respiratory and other diseases.  Bariatric and metabolic surgery (BMS) leads to significant changes in body composition. Our pilot study showed that bariatric patients are at risk of sarcopenia after BMS. This finding resulted in a hypothesis that an exercise plan in the experimental group will lead to postural stabilization and a lower decline in muscle homotopy, further leading to a greater reduction in fat mass and a positive effect of exercise on skeletal muscle volume and strength and endocrine-metabolic function. The aim of the present study is to determine the effect of programmed aerobic and strength training on muscle function, volume, and morphology in patients after BMS. The study is a single-center, randomized clinical trial after sleeve gastrectomy focused on muscle tissue. The experimental group will perform targeted physical activity once a week for 12 months and the training plan will include anaerobic and aerobic components. Magnetic resonance imaging of skeletal muscles will be correlated with the values of densitometry examination and changes in body composition, certain blood parameters of myokines, biomechanical analysis of movement abnormalities, and behavioral and dietary counseling. This study will address the research questions about the effect of programmed training on muscle tissue and muscular functions after BMS.

Proteomic Signatures of Human Visceral and Subcutaneous Adipocytes.

CONTEXT: Adipose tissue distribution is a key factor influencing metabolic health and risk in obesity-associated comorbidities. OBJECTIVE: Here we aim to compare the proteomic profiles of mature adipocytes from different depots. METHODS: Abdominal subcutaneous (SA) and omental visceral adipocytes (VA) were isolated from paired adipose tissue biopsies obtained during bariatric surgery on 19 severely obese women (body mass index > 30 kg/m2) and analyzed using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry. Differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed to investigate proteome signature properties and to examine a possible association of the protein expression with the clinical data. RESULTS: We identified 3686 protein groups and found 1140 differentially expressed proteins (adj. P value < 0.05), of which 576 proteins were upregulated in SA and 564 in VA samples. We provide a global protein profile of abdominal SA and omental VA, present the most differentially expressed pathways and processes distinguishing SA from VA, and correlate them with clinical and body composition data. We show that SA are significantly more active in processes linked to vesicular transport and secretion, and to increased lipid metabolism activity. Conversely, the expression of proteins involved in the mitochondrial energy metabolism and translational or biosynthetic activity is higher in VA. CONCLUSION: Our analysis represents a valuable resource of protein expression profiles in abdominal SA and omental VA, highlighting key differences in their role in obesity.

Psoas density - an optimal sarcopaenic indicator associated with postoperative complications after colorectal resection for cancer?

INTRODUCTION: Sarcopaenia seems to be predictive factor for postoperative morbidity and mortality after colorectal resection for cancer. Nevertheless, an ideal sarcopaenic indicator is still to be identified. AIM: To evaluate computed tomography (CT) measured total abdominal muscle area (TAMA), total psoas muscle area (TPA), and psoas density (PD) - previously described sarcopaenia indicators - as possible risk factors for postoperative complications in patients after curative colon and rectal resections for colorectal cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive patients after elective curative colon or rectal resection for cancer at a single institution were divided into cohorts with uncomplicated postoperative course or complications Clavien-Dindo grade I-II (Cl-Di 0-II) and complications Clavien-Dindo grade III-V (Cl-Di III-V). Cohorts were statistically tested for significant differences in TAMA, TPA, and PD calculated from preoperative staging CT scans at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. RESULTS: Data of 112 patients were analysed from a prospectively run database; 65 underwent colon and 47 rectal resections. PD was significantly higher in the Cl-Di 0-II cohort compared to the Cl-Di III-V for both colon (42.67 ±6.52 vs. 40.11 ±7.57 HU, p = 0.002) and rectal resections (44.08 ±5.86 vs. 43.03 ±5.70HU, p = 0.016). TAMA and TPA failed to show significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Psoas density is significantly decreased in patients with Clavien-Dindo grade III-V complications after curative resection for colon and rectal cancer. Due to the simplicity and affordability of its assessment from preoperative staging CT scan, it might be considered an optimal sarcopaenic indicator to be utilised in everyday practice.

The risk of sarcopenia 24 months after bariatric surgery - assessment by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA): a prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Bariatric procedures lead to changes in body composition. Desired fat loss may be accompanied by decrease of muscle mass, thus raising the risk of sarcopenia. AIM: To detect the risk of sarcopenia in patients 24 months after different bariatric/metabolic (B/M) procedures by DEXA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive patients scheduled for a B/M procedure underwent DEXA scan and anthropometric assessment before and 24 months after surgery in a prospective manner. Obtained data were tested for significant differences (p < 0.05) to detect body composition changes and occurrence of sarcopenia. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was answered at 24 months to assess physical activity. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were enrolled, with no drop-off at follow-up. Body mass index dropped from 42.4 ±6.3 to 30.3 ±4.9 kg/m2, with excess weight loss of 72 ±25% and substantial improvement of all relevant anthropometric measurements (p < 0.001). Significant changes in DEXA parameters were observed: fat mass index (19.5 ±4.7 vs. 12.1 ±3.7 kg/m2), estimated visceral adipose area (235.8 ±70.0 vs. 126.5 ±50.4 cm2), lean mass index (22.1 ±2.4 vs. 18.1 ±2.3 kg/m2), appendage lean mass index (9.7 ±1.3 vs. 7.7 ±1.1 kg/m2), bone mineral content (1.22 ±0.1 vs. 1.12 ±0.1 kg), Z score (2.32 vs. 0.96) and T score (0.58 vs. -0.58). A low level of physical activity was recorded at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: B/M procedures lead to significant changes in body composition at 24 months after surgery. DEXA detects these changes effectively. Desired fat loss is associated with significant reduction of skeletal muscle and bone mineral mass. As such, patients after B/M surgery are at risk of sarcopenia. A low level of physical activity may also play a negative role.

Human White Adipose Tissue Metabolome: Current Perspective.

OBJECTIVE: Interest in metabolites produced by adipose tissue has increased substantially in the past several decades. Previously regarded as an inert energy storage depot, adipose tissue is now viewed as a complex metabolically active organ with considerable impact on human health. The emerging field of mass spectrometry-based metabolomics presents a powerful tool for the study of processes in complex biological matrices including adipose tissue. RESULTS: A large number of structurally distinct metabolites can be analyzed to facilitate the investigation of differences between physiological and pathophysiological metabolic profiles associated with adipose tissue. Understanding the molecular basis of adipose tissue regulation can thereby provide insight into the monitoring of obesity-related metabolic disorders and lead to the development of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: This review provides the current state of knowledge, recent progress, and critical evaluation of metabolomics approaches in the context of white adipose tissue and obesity. An overview of basic principles and resources describing individual groups of metabolites analyzed in white adipose tissue and biological fluids is given. The focus is on metabolites that can serve as reliable biomarkers indicative of metabolic alterations associated with obesity.