The effect of weight-loss surgery in patients with obesity on adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells versus circulating endothelial progenitor cells
Authors' conclusion
Obesity impairs MSC mitochondrial function and increases the percent of circulating, but also potentially injurious EPCs. WLS largely reverses MSC mitochondrial injury and but not circulating EPC characteristics.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with obesity undergoing weight-loss surgery (WLS); abdominal adipose tissue MSCs and peripheral blood endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs)
- Comparison
- Patients with obesity before vs after weight-loss surgery (WLS), and vs healthy controls (HC)
- Obesityn = 8
- post-WLSn = 8
- Outcome
- AT-MSC mitochondrial function and circulating EPC number and surface markers
- Follow-up
- 9-12 months after WLS
Methodological detailsbefore–after (pre- and 9–12 months post-WLS), healthy controls comparison
- Before–after (pre- and 9–12 months post-WLS)
- Healthy controls comparison
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- MSCs showed reduced membrane potential and matrix density at baseline vs HC; mitochondrial changes mostly improved after WLS
- EPC fractions expressing VAP-1 or OCN-1 elevated in obesity; neither fell after WLS
- Obesity pre-WLS vs HC: P > 0.05
- Obesity pre-WLS vs HC: P < 0.05
- Obesity pre-WLS vs HC: P < 0.05
- Post-WLS vs Obesity pre-WLS: P > 0.05
Further findings
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| Basal BMIObesity pre-WLS vs HC · higher BMI in obesity | P < 0.0001 |
| Basal BMIObesity pre-WLS vs Post-WLS · higher BMI before WLS | P < 0.001 |
Original publication
The effect of weight-loss surgery in patients with obesity on adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells versus circulating endothelial progenitor cells. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 6 April 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →