Abdominal Adipose Tissue Fibrosis as an Obesity Biomarker in Clinical Practice

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Introduction The aims of the study were to describe a biopsy procedure to obtain subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) samples for fibrosis assessment in patients with adipose-based chronic disease (ABCD) and to explore potential associations between SAT fibrosis and comorbidities. Methods Single-center, cross-sectional study conducted at the Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital (Lleida, Spain) between January and December 2024. We included patients aged 18-65 years attending their first appointment in the Obesity Unit. Between-group comparisons were performed using Student's t-test for continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables, and correlations were assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results 58 patients were recruited and 50 were included in the final analysis. Most were female (76.0%), with a mean age of 47.1 years (SD: 10.8), and a mean BMI of 46.3 kg/m2 (SD: 5.0). The biopsy technique evolved over time, reducing the procedure duration from 55 min to under 10 min without any adverse events. SAT fibrosis was observed in 10 patients (20.0%), who showed a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes (50.0% vs. 15.0%, p = 0.017), significantly higher aspartate transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transferase, and elevated signs of liver fibrosis. Conclusion SAT fibrosis was associated with ABCD comorbidities and could serve as a tool for risk strat

Evidence level

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

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