Caloric-dose responsive genes in blood cells differentiate the metabolic status of obese men

One current focus of nutrition research is the identification of biomarkers that reflect the impact of food on metabolic processes. As this approach mostly targets the prevention rather than the curing of diseases, novel biomarkers need to be identified. Those should be influenced by the diet already in healthy individuals and be nonetheless indicative, or even predictive, of the potential impact of specific food on the development of metabolic diseases such as obesity. The blood cell transcriptome of two different population groups after the ingestion of different caloric doses of a high-fat meal was measured by microarray technology. A human intervention study was conducted including seven normal weight and seven obese subjects who consumed three caloric doses (500, 1000, 1500 kcal) of a high-fat meal. The blood cell transcriptome was measured before (0h) as well as 2h, 4h and 6h after the meal ingestion.