Background: Bariatric surgery is currently the most effective treatment for patients with severe obesity. Uncoupling proteins (UCP) 1, 2, and 3 play key roles in the regulation of energy balance and weight. Previous studies have suggested that changes in UCP1-3 genes could influence weight loss after bariatric surgery. However, it is still unclear if these UCPs are indeed involved in weight loss variability after surgery. Therefore, we performed a systematic review aiming to summarize the results of studies on this subject.
Methods: A literature search was performed for all studies that evaluated associations of UCP1-3 expressions and their polymorphisms with obesity-related outcomes after bariatric surgery.
Results: Twenty-six studies were eligible for inclusion in this systematic review. Among them, 18 evaluated UCP1-3 expressions while 8 studies investigated the association between UCP1-3 polymorphisms and weight loss after bariatric surgery. In general, UCP2 and UCP3 expressions in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle seem to be affected by metabolic changes of bariatric surgery, which might be influenced by the surgery type. Data on UCP1 expression in adipose tissue is still inconclusive. Only few studies investigated the association between polymorphisms in UCP1-3 genes and weight loss after bariatric surgery, with contradictory results.
Conclusion: Available studies suggest that changes caused by bariatric surgery could influence UCP2 and UCP3 expressions in adipose tissue and muscles, consequently affecting weight loss. However, because of the reduced number of studies, further studies are needed to confirm whether these UCPs and their polymorphisms are indeed involved in weight loss after bariatric surgery.
Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Gene expression; Obesity; Polymorphisms; Systematic review; Uncoupling proteins.
Copyright © 2020 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.