A total of 34 morbidly obese patients were investigated before, one and 12 months after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n = 10), laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (n = 13), and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (n = 11) for hypertension, kidney function, urinary and serum cytokine levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and chemokine ligand-18.
At 12 months after surgery, the patients in all 3 treatment arms showed a significant decrease in the mean body mass index, mean arterial pressure, and urinary and serum inflammatory markers (all P < .001). The reduction in urinary and serum cytokine levels correlated directly with body weight loss (P < .05). Patients with impaired renal function at baseline (corresponding to serum cystatin C >.8 mg/L) had a marked improvement in renal function 12 months after surgery (P < .05).
Surgically induced weight loss is associated with a marked decrease in renal and systemic inflammation and arterial hypertension and improvement in renal function in patients with pre-existing renal impairment. These effects appear to be independent of surgical procedure. The improvement in renal inflammation could be 1 of the mechanisms contributing to the beneficial effects of bariatric surgery on arterial blood pressure, proteinuria, and renal function.