GABRIEL VERDEŞ1), CIPRIAN CONSTANTIN DUŢĂ1), ROXANA POPESCU2), MIHAI MITULEŢU2), SORIN URSONIU3), OCTAVIAN FULGER LAZĂR1)
1)Department of Surgery, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timişoara, Romania
2)Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timişoara, Romania
3)Department of Public Health, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timişoara, Romania
Abstract
Morbid obesity is a metabolic disease characterized by an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue (≥40%). This disorder is commonly associated with cardiovascular disease, arteriosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism and some types of cancer. The most common metabolic signals associated with the disease are leptin, ghrelin, with antagonic effects. Our study aimed at highlighting leptin and ghrelin expression levels, as well as establishing correlations between them and clinical-biological parameters in obese patients. The biological material was taken intraoperatively from the visceral adipose tissue. Expression of genes of interest was performed after total RNA extraction and reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and amplification with TaqMan specific primers. The results of the study showed significant differences in the expression of leptin mRNA between obese patients and the control group as well as the gender of the
subjects. Ghrelin levels correlated positively with obesity, but not with gender. There were no significant correlations between the expression of the genes of interest and the parameters studied (age, body mass index – BMI, cholesterol, triglycerides, glycemia, diabetes, hypothyroidism and hypertension). The results of the study suggest that the evaluation of leptin levels can be used clinically in assessing the metabolic status of the patient with malignant obesity.
Keywords: malignant obesity, leptin, ghrelin, RT-PCR.
Duta Ciprian March 29th, 2018
Posted In: Doctor