title: Suppressed cytokine production in whole blood cultures may be related to iron status and hepcidin and is partially corrected following weight reduction in morbidly obese pre-menopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assess ex vivo whole-blood (WB) cytokine production and its association with iron status and serum hepcidin in obese versus non-obese women. Determine the change in ex vivo WB cytokine production 6 months after restrictive bariatric surgery in the obese group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen obese (BMI: 46.6±7.9 kg/m²) and 19 non-obese (BMI: 22.5±3.0 kg/m²), pre-menopausal women; frequency matched for hemoglobin, age and race.
  
  
  METHODS
  At baseline control and ex vivo stimulated IL-6, IL-10, IL-22, IFNγ, and TNFα from heparinized WB cultures, hemoglobin from finger-stick and transferrin receptor, hepcidin, CRP, IL-6, HOMA-IR from fasted serum samples and anthropometric parameters were assessed in the women. All parameters were reassessed 6-months following restrictive bariatric surgery in the obese women only.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Whole blood ex vivo LPS and ZY stimulated production of IL-6, TNFα, and IFNγ was reduced, IL-22 increased, and IL-10 was unaffected in obese compared with the non-obese women. Furthermore, ex vivo stimulated production of IL-6 and TNFα normalized, but IFNγ production remained unchanged with weight loss following restrictive bariatric surgery. In the obese women, serum transferrin receptor (a marker of iron status) and serum hepcidin were correlated with ex vivo stimulated IFNγ production at baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ex vivo LPS and ZY stimulated cytokine production from WB cultures was altered in pre-menopausal women with morbid obesity. Significant weight loss resulted in normalization of some but not all observed alterations. Furthermore, iron status and serum hepcidin were associated with ex vivo LPS and ZY stimulated IFNγ in obesity.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, Southern Regional Research Center, 282 Knapp Hall, Highland Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tussing-Humphreys
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pini
authors.forename: Venkatesh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ponemone
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braunschweig
authors.forename: Giamila
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fantuzzi
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D016014:Linear Models; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D017697:Premenopause / Q000097:blood*; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D016207:Cytokines; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007501:Iron