Adipose tissue network analyses reveal negative association between GDF15 and BMI during weight management intervention.

CONTEXT: Adipose tissue (AT) transcriptome studies provide holistic pictures of adaptation to weight and related bioclinical settings changes. OBJECTIVE: To implement AT gene expression profiling and investigate the link between changes in bioclinical parameters and AT gene expression during three steps of a two-phase dietary intervention (DI). RESULTS: During LCD, 5 modules were found, 3 of which including at least 1 bio-clinical variable. Especially, the change in BMI was connected to changes in mRNA level of genes with Inflammatory response signature. In this module, BMI was negatively connected to several genes encoding secreted proteins including GDF15, CCL3 and SPP1. Whatever the phase of the DI, change in GDF15 was connected to changes in SPP1, CCL3, LIPA and CD68. CONCLUSION: network analyses confirm GDF15 as upregulated with calorie restriction-induced weight loss, concomitantly to macrophages markers. AT transcriptome profiling was obtained from sequencing 1051 samples, corresponding to 556 distinct individuals enrolled in a weight loss intervention (8-week low calorie diet (LCD) at 800 kcal/d) followed with a 6-month ad libitum randomized dietary intervention (DI).