Increase in high molecular weight adiponectin by bariatric surgery-induced weight loss

AIM: To determine the changes in adiponectin multimers upon marked weight loss. METHODS: Plasma samples were obtained preoperatively and 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery from 12 obese subjects undergoing weight loss-inducing bariatric surgery. Seven non-operated obese subjects served as controls. Plasma levels of adiponectin multimers were determined by protease digestion and Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) detection. In addition, adiponectin multimers were assessed by western blotting. RESULTS: In patients with weight loss after surgery but not in controls, total adiponectin and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin steadily increased during the observation period. Twenty-four months after surgery, the increase in total and HMW adiponectin was 2.2 +/- 0.46 and 1.4 +/- 0.3 microg/ml, respectively. In contrast, plasma concentrations of middle and low molecular weight adiponectin remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in plasma adiponectin levels observed 24 months after bariatric surgery depended on continuous weight loss and was completely attributable to the HMW complex.