title: Plasma myostatin is only a weak predictor for weight maintenance in obese adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Predicting an individual's success in a non-surgical weight loss approach is a demanding need since obesity is becoming an epidemic burden. A possible predictive marker is myostatin, a member of the transforming growth factor b superfamily, which has been shown to be an important regulator of muscle homeostasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, we analyzed myostatin as a marker to predict weight loss of patients that participated in a 2 phased weight reduction program, comprising a weight loss period of 12 weeks and a weight stabilization period of 40 weeks. Therefore, 62 obese individuals with a mean BMI of 40.6 kg/m(2) were included. Plasma myostatin was measured with ELISA at the beginning (T0), after weight loss (T1) and at the end of the program (T2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although significant weight loss of -23.9±14.9 kg was achieved, myostatin did not change significantly during the program (T0>T1: p=0.46; T1>T2: p=0.70; T0>T2: p=0.57). Myostatin at baseline did neither negatively correlate with the achieved weight loss in the weight reduction phase (T0>T1: r=0.27, p=0.16) nor with weight loss during the whole program (T0>T2: r=0.20, p=0.29). Only a minor correlation with myostatin levels after weight loss with weight regain during maintenance period was detected. (T1>T2: r=-0.37, p=0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma myostatin might be suitable in predicting weight regain after marked weight loss, but no association with weight loss was observed in patients undergoing a non-surgical weight loss program. Therefore, myostatin does not seem to be a predictor for success in non-surgical weight loss approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Tsioga
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oikonomou
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vittas
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalscheuer
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roeder
authors.affiliation: Immundiagnostik AG, Stubenwald-Allee 8a, Bensheim, Germany.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Wintgens
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Nawroth
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wolfrum
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rudofsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055435:Myostatin / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C525911:MSTN protein, human; D055435:Myostatin