ABSTRACT:
Obesity contributes to chronic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction within adipose tissue. Bariatric surgery offers significant metabolic benefits beyond weight loss; however, the molecular adaptations in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT) remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate transcriptional alterations and functional shifts in subcutaneous WAT of obese individuals before and after bariatric surgery. Gene expression profiles from the GEO database were analyzed, comprising subcutaneous WAT samples from pre-surgery obese individuals, post-surgery individuals, and never-obese controls. Differential gene expression was assessed using the limma package in R. Protein-protein interaction networks were generated via STRING and visualized using Cytoscape. Functional enrichment was conducted through DAVID and Enrichr. Distinct gene expression patterns were observed across groups. Pre-surgery samples displayed elevated expression of inflammatory and extracellular matrix remodeling genes such as MMP9, SPP1, CHI3L1, and CCL18, while post-surgery samples showed upregulation of metabolic genes related to lipid handling and insulin sensitivity, including SLC2A4, CIDEA, AZGP1, and ELOVL6. Interaction networks revealed two primary clusters: one linked to immune activation and tissue remodeling (pre-surgery), and another associated with metabolic regulation (post-surgery). Enrichment analysis supported a shift from inflammation-related pathways toward those involved in fatty acid oxidation and glucose transport. Bariatric surgery induces a molecular transition in subcutaneous WAT from a pro-inflammatory state to one favoring metabolic health. These changes suggest potential therapeutic targets for improving metabolic outcomes in obesity.