The immune system and microbial tone in relation to NAFLD/NASH before and after BARIatric surgery in the morbidly obese in Amsterdam; the BARIA cohort study.

It is increasingly recognized that the immune system is a major player in this obesity related disease and the switch from benign to malign (insulin resistance and DM2) obesity is associated with changes in the immune system . In this regard, animal studies have suggested that the intestinal microbiome is thought to play a major role in driving these immunological and metabolites changes. However, at this moment it is unknown whether and to what extend intestinal microbiota and immunological tone can predict metabolic response (improvement in insulin sensitivity and weightloss) upon bariatric surgery. Increased understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism as well as their relationship to metabolic disturbances are thought to be of crucial importance to discover new diagnostic and therapeutical targets in obesity associated insulin resistance and NAFLD/NASH. Moreover, this study will identify the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in subjects that will have NAFLD/NASH reduction upon the surgery (responders) and those that have no beneficial effect on at all (non-responders). This might help to predict who will benefit from the surgical intervention and in whom this is not effective.

0,1,2,12 and 24 months

bariatric surgery