Acute and chronic effect of bariatric surgery on circulating autotaxin levels

Autotaxin (ATX), an adipose tissue-derived lysophospholipase, has been involved in the pathophysiology of cardiometabolic diseases. The impact of bariatric surgery on circulating ATX levels is unknown. We examined the short- (24 h, 5 days) and longer-term (6 and 12 months) impact of bariatric surgery; as well as the short-term effect of caloric restriction (CR) on plasma ATX levels in patients with severe obesity. We measured ATX levels in 69 men and women (mean age: 41 ± 11 years, body mass index: 49.8 ± 7.1 kg/m² ), before and after biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch surgery (BPD-DS) as well as in a control group (patients with severe obesity without surgery; n = 34). We also measured ATX levels in seven patients with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes who underwent a 3-day CR protocol before their BPD-DS. At baseline, ATX levels were positively associated with body mass index, fat mass, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) as well as insulin and leptin levels and negatively with fat-free mass. ATX concentrations decreased 26.2% at 24 h after BPD-DS (342.9 ± 152.3 pg/mL to 253.2 ± 68.9 pg/mL, P < 0.0001) and by 16.4% at 12 months after BPD-DS (342.9 ± 152.3 pg/mL to 286.8 ± 182.6 pg/mL, P = 0.04). ATX concentrations were unchanged during follow-up in the control group (P = 0.4), and not influenced by short-term CR. In patients with severe obesity, bariatric surgery induced a rapid and sustained decrease in plasma ATX levels. Acute changes in ATX may not be explained by bariatric surgery-induced CR.