Long-term impact of vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) on plasma concentration of leptin, soluble leptin receptor, ghrelin, omentin-1, obestatin, and retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) in patients with severe obesity

• Metabolic syndrome parameters are improved after VBG.
• Leptin decreases and soluble leptin receptor and ghrelin increase.
• Leptin correlates positively with body weight and BMI.
• RBP4 correlates positively with total and LDL cholesterols.
• Obestatin, omentin-1 and RBP4 do not change after VBG.

Restrictive type bariatric surgery is an effective therapeutic approach that decreases overall mortality in patients with severe obesity. Several new cytokines, including adipocytokines that control energy metabolism, have been discovered recently, but their role in obesity is not fully recognized. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG), one of restrictive type bariatric surgery, on peripheral blood concentrations of some adipocytokines and hormones involved in the control of food intake and energy turnover.The studied group comprised 12 females and 2 males aged from 31 to 59 years (46.6 ± 7.4) with simple obesity (BMI: 44.9 ± 7.2) and metabolic syndrome. The patients were examined both before and 3, 6, 12, 24 months after bariatric surgery (eight patients were also checked after 36 and six patients after 48 months). Measurements of peripheral blood concentration of glucose, insulin, leptin, soluble leptin receptor, obestatin, ghrelin, omentin-1, and retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) by ELISA method have been performed.After the surgery body weight, BMI and waist circumference significantly decreased. Positive changes considering the components of metabolic syndrome have been noted. Namely glucose, insulin and triglycerides’ levels decreased, accompanied by the significantly lower HOMA index. Conversely, HDL cholesterol concentrations increased. Furthermore, peripheral blood concentration of leptin decreased, but the blood levels of soluble leptin receptor and ghrelin gradually increased. The positive correlations between leptin and body weight and BMI were noted as well as between the RBP4 and total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. We did not observe significant differences in levels of obestatin, omentin-1 and RBP4 after surgery.In conclusion, VBG is an effective type of bariatric surgery. Fast decrease of body weight in morbidly obese patients treated by restrictive bariatric surgery leads to significant changes in peripheral blood levels of some adipokines and hormones controlling energy turnover and appetite (leptin and soluble leptin receptor) as well as ghrelin but not omentin-1, obestatin or retinol binding protein (RBP-4).