Diet Induced Weight Loss to Reduce Inflammation in Obese Women

Diet Induced Weight Loss Reduces Inflammation and Crown-like Structures and Corrects Immune Dysfunction in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue In Class 2-3 Obese Women: A Pilot Study

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently seen cancers in the United States. It occurs at all ages but is particularly common in post menopausal women. Obesity increases the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer among others, and when cancer develops increases the risk of spread and death. Inflammation of fat tissue, the coronary blood vessels and the liver are also seen with obesity. Animal experiments have shown the inflammation in fat tissue increases the production of estrogen. Thus, reducing inflammation in fat tissue might lower estrogen levels and reduce the risk of breast cancer in obese women as well as the spread of other cancers in the body. Weight reduction in obesity has been shown in epidemiology studies to lower the risk of colon cancer and in obese women to lower the risk of breast cancer. However, how that occurs and how much weight loss is necessary is not known. In mice, calorie restriction in obese animals has been shown to reduce inflammation in fat tissue and the breast. In other studies, calorie reduction has been shown to lower the development of cancer. In addition, we really do not know what starts the whole inflammation process. One good possibility is that immune factors that tend to reduce inflammation are less in obesity. We have shown this in the colon and this also has been suggested as occurring in fat stores.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Diet regimen to induce weight loss

Detailed Description

This study aims to determine if weight loss of about 10% of initial weight lowers evidence of inflammation in fat stores. It is likely that, if fat store inflammation is reduced, then inflammation in breast fat also will be lower. Also, it is possible that blood immune cells may be changed with weight loss and even that immune cells in skin will be affected. Since vitamin D has important immune effects and vitamin D is low in obesity, we also want to study what happens to this vitamin during weight loss.

This pilot study of weight loss will be done in 10 very obese post menopausal women. This study will include nutritional and medical evaluation, a 3 day inpatient hospital stay eating a diet providing 50% of what they were taking before starting the study and then a nutritionally adequate diet that will allow them to lose about 10% of their initial weight within 7 to 10 week period. They will have about 4-5 grams of fat removed by suction through a syringe and a biopsy of the skin in addition to studies of blood and stool samples.

When they have completed the study with a 10% body weight loss they will be referred to a nutrition clinic which can counsel them to continue a slower weight loss to an optimal level.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • New York, New York, United States, 10065
      • The Rockefeller University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 40 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 40-70 years of age
• Post-menopausal women defined as: 24 consecutive months without a menstrual period, currently not taking any medication known to induce amenorhea
• Body Mass Index 35-50

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of any bleeding disorder
• HIV positive
• History of previous weight loss surgery.
• History of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• History of any other malignancy other than non-melanoma skin cancer in the past 5 years
• Currently taking fish oil, omega-3 supplements or other herbal supplements that exceed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) levels
• Currently taking any estrogen/progesterone hormones except vaginal cream
• Smokers (or stopped < 3 months ago)
• Currently taking any medication that can alter fat stores as determined by the principal investigator
• Currently taking any weight control medication
• Currently taking hypoglycemic medications.
• Currently taking NSAIDS, aspirin, (if > once a week, stopped <30 days ago). Aspirin 81mg may be permitted if the Framingham Risk Score is < 10
• Currently taking anticoagulant medication or stopped <30 days ago.
• Screening fasting blood glucose >165mg/dL
• Screening thyroid function test abnormal
• Screening LFT results > 2X upper limit of normal
• Screening creatinine > 2X upper limit of normal
• Any condition or situation which, in the opinion of the investigator, puts the patient at significant risk, could complicate the study results, or may interfere significantly with participation in the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Dietary intervention; Diet regimen to induce weight loss	Other: Diet regimen to induce weight loss; Diet regimen to induce weight loss; Other Names: Very low calorie diet

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Adipose tissue inflammation via crown-like structures	Diet-induced weight loss of 10% body weight will result in reduction in abdominal subcutaneous fat inflammation as measured by: reduction in adipocyte size determined by microscopy and of CLS number in adipose tissue. reduction in inflammatory gene expression determined by PCR and selected cytokine protein levels. increased anti-inflammatory lymphocytes determined by immunohistochemistry or by flowcytometry.	9 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Rockefeller University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Peter R. Holt, MD, The Rockefeller University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Aleman JO, Bokulich NA, Swann JR, Walker JM, De Rosa JC, Battaglia T, Costabile A, Pechlivanis A, Liang Y, Breslow JL, Blaser MJ, Holt PR. Fecal microbiota and bile acid interactions with systemic and adipose tissue metabolism in diet-induced weight loss of obese postmenopausal women. J Transl Med. 2018 Sep 3;16(1):244. doi: 10.1186/s12967-018-1619-z.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 12, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 1, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): October 4, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): November 5, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 4, 2014
• Last Verified: June 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Obesity
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Body Weight; Body Weight Changes; Inflammation; Weight Loss
• Other Study ID Numbers: PHO-0785