title: Bariatric surgery can correct iron depletion in morbidly obese women: a link with chronic inflammation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is associated with a chronic and low-grade inflammation which may cause hypoferremia as seen in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between iron status and markers of inflammation in morbidly obese women and the effect of bariatric surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our cohort of patients consisted of 178 morbidly obese females selected for bariatric surgery. Clinical and biochemical data were recorded before surgery, and histopathological studies were carried out on preoperative liver biopsy samples. Fifty-five patients have been followed up after bariatric surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A high prevalence of iron depletion was present in this cohort, with 53% having a transferrin saturation ratio below 0.20. Iron depletion was significantly correlated with raised levels of indices of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP), orosomucoid and haptoglobin), and with the white blood cell count. In multivariate analysis, orosomucoid and CRP were independently associated with iron depletion. Moreover, 6 months after bariatric surgery, inflammation level decreased, which was inversely correlated with the increase in transferrin saturation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Iron depletion is common in morbidly obese women. Low-grade chronic inflammation associated with obesity could be a modulator of iron uptake and utilization. Bariatric surgery may reduce chronic inflammation and improve iron status.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U568, Nice, 06107, France.
authors.forename: Rodolphe
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anty
authors.forename: Monsef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dahman
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iannelli
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gual
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staccini-Myx
authors.forename: Imed Ben
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Amor
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Luciani
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Saint-Paul
authors.forename: Pierre-Michel
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Huet
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sadoul
authors.forename: Surjit Kaila S
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Srai
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Unwin
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gugenheim
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Le Marchand-Brustel
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Soumeya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bekri
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D014168:Transferrin; D007501:Iron