Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Transcriptome Highlights Specific Expression Profiles in Severe Pediatric Obesity: A...

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Molecular Biology
• Pediatric Endocrinology

Background:

• Pediatric obesity is a growing global health concern.
• Understanding the molecular underpinnings of pediatric obesity is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• Omic approaches offer valuable insights into the pathophysiology of obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify transcriptional differences in subcutaneous adipose tissue (scAT) of children across a spectrum of weight status: normal weight (NW), overweight (OW), obesity (OB), and severe obesity (SV).
• To investigate the molecular pathways associated with severe pediatric obesity.

Main Methods:

• Collected periumbilical scAT biopsies from 20 male children (aged 1-12 years) stratified into NW, OW, OB, and SV groups based on BMI z-scores.
• Performed scAT RNA-Seq analysis and differential gene expression analysis using DESeq2.
• Conducted KEGG and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) to explore biological pathways.

Main Results:

• Significant deregulation of both coding and non-coding transcripts was observed in the severe obesity group compared to other weight categories.
• KEGG pathway analysis indicated that differentially expressed coding transcripts were primarily involved in lipid metabolism.
• GSEA revealed upregulation of lipid degradation, metabolism, bioenergetic processes, and branched-chain amino acid catabolism in severe obesity.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first evidence of significant transcriptional deregulation in the scAT of children with severe obesity.
• The findings highlight distinct molecular signatures in severe pediatric obesity, particularly involving lipid and energy metabolism.
• These molecular insights could inform future therapeutic strategies for pediatric obesity.