The Potential Role of Personalized Medicine in Bariatric Surgery

Weight loss after Bariatric surgery is extremely variable and genetically influenced. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) related to weight, body fat proportion and additionally feeding behaviors. Thus, the aim of this study was to research the effects of sequence variants and determined SNP on patient’s responses to bariatric surgery.

This review article summarizes studies that were investigating the influence of genetic polymorphisms in different effectiveness of bariatric surgery and weight loss pathways. Scopus and PubMed database were consistently searched up to January 2021.

The evidences from GWAS studies showed that many genes and SNPs affected the individual responses to bariatric surgery. the most of these SNPs is associated to genes that regulate the lipolysis/lipogenesis pathways, adipose cell metabolism, metabolic process chain, insulin resistance, insulin/glucagon metabolism, feeding behavior and appetite-sensing state. At this regard, rs16945088 SNP of FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated) sequence, MC4R (melanocortin 4 receptor), rs660339 (Ala55Val) SNP of uncoupling proteins 2 (UCP2), leptin receptor gene (Lys656Asn and Asn656Asn), gucagon-like peptide 1 receptor gene (rs6923761) and INSIG2 (insulin induced gene 2) are the most studied and affecting polymorphisms that have influence on bariatric surgery outcomes.

Genetic background encompasses a important impact on weight loss after bariatric surgery. within the future, genetic testing could probably be employed in the pre-surgical assessment of patients with severe obesity for selecting the best surgery procedure for patients, avoiding supernumerary adverse effects and prices