ABSTRACT

Background: 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) is an enzyme greatly expressed in the adipose tissue and acts as a reductase (convert inactive cortisone into active cortisol). Previous study assumed that the pathophysiology of obesity might be elaborated by tissue-specific dysregulation of cortisol metabolism. Numerous studies have assessed 11β-HSD1 gene polymorphisms and obesity risk. However, there is still a lack in the published literature evaluating the association between 11β-HSD1 gene expression and the risk of obesity and its related diseases.

Objective: This study was carried out to investigate the relationship of 11β-HSD1 gene expression with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in subcutaneous adipose tissue. Moreover, this study correlates 11β-HSD1 gene expression with various parameters in obese patients.

Patients and methods: Our study was conducted on 74 subjects; they were selected from kasr Al Aini Hospital, Surgical Department. Obese patients (n=56) with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 were divided according to obesity complications into obese (n=26), obese hypertensive (n=14) and obese diabetic (n=16) groups beside 18 age- and sex-matched normal weight healthy subjects as control group. The expression of 11β-HSD1 was evaluated with real-time PCR.

Results: There was a significant difference between obese and controls in HSD11β1 gene expression level and we found a significant difference in obese patients with diabetes and hypertension compared to normal weight healthy controls. Furthermore, the correlation and regression analysis showed that the 11β-HSD1 gene expression was correlated with fasting blood glucose and triglycerides levels in obese patients.

Conclusion: The study shows a significant association between subcutaneous adipose tissue 11β-HSD1 gene expression and obesity. Moreover, the subcutaneous adipose tissue expression level of 11β-HSD1 gene was correlated to fasting plasma glucose level and also correlated to triglycerides. So the 11β-HSD1 gene expression is significantly increased the risk of diabetes mellitus and hypertension in obese individuals.