Skip to content

Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Bariatric Surgery

Changes in Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers After Bariatric Surgery

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04350892
Enrollment
51
Registered
2020-04-17
Start date
2020-10-20
Completion date
2025-12-29
Last updated
2026-01-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Obesity

Keywords

Obesity, Bariatric Surgery, Gastric Bypass, Sleeve Gastrectomy, Weight Loss, Low Calorie Diet

Brief summary

The goal of this project is to understand why bariatric surgery is such an effective treatment for obesity with a focus on brain mechanisms. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neuropeptide, hormone and protein levels will be measured as a surrogate for changes in brain activity in participants before and after bariatric surgery as compared with participants before and after diet-induced weight loss. The investigators are studying neuropeptides and hormones that are know to be involved with the regulation of appetite and body weight to determine if some of the changes that are expected to occur after diet-induced weight loss do not occur after bariatric surgery. In addition, proteomic analysis will be used to uncover new protein biomarkers that are unique to surgical weight loss. The results of these studies will help explain why bariatric surgery is so effective in achieving long-term weight loss. Understanding how the central nervous system responds to bariatric surgery could help the development of alternative nonsurgical therapies for obesity and its metabolic complications.

Detailed description

Peripheral metabolic signals communicate levels of energy stores to the brain and elicit a host of neuronal responses that maintain energy balance; such regulatory mechanisms make it difficult to maintain diet-induced weight loss. The goal is to understand how these central regulatory mechanisms are circumvented following surgical alterations in the gut in subjects after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (SG) compared to carefully matched diet- induced weight loss controls who achieve weight loss on a low calorie liquid diet. Surgery participants will be patients who have already chosen to have a bariatric surgery procedure with their doctor. Diet participants will be provided with the low calorie liquid diet for approximately 3 months and will be monitored weekly throughout the study. Surgery participants will be studied at 3 time-points: 1. Before the intervention 2. After surgery at 10-15% weight loss 3. At 12 months after surgery Low calorie diet participants will be studied at 2 time-points: 1. Before intervention 2. At 10-15% weight loss (approximately 12 weeks on the diet) At each time-point subjects will have a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling and blood will be collected in the fasting state and in response to a liquid meal challenge. Body weight, waist and hip circumference will be measured.

Interventions

This surgery is often called gastric bypass. It is a weight-loss surgery that involves creating a small stomach pouch and bypassing part of the small intestine. If you decide with your doctor to have gastric bypass, you can be enrolled on this arm of the study. A surgery date should be pending before the investigators screen you for the study. The study does not cover the cost of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Sleeve gastrectomy, is a weight-loss surgery that involves removing about 80% of the stomach. If you decide with your doctor to have sleeve gastrectomy, you can be enrolled on this arm of the study. A surgery date should be pending before the investigators screen you for the study. The study does not cover the cost of the sleeve gastrectomy.

Weight loss with calorie restricted liquid diet. Participants will be placed on a 800 kcal/day diet for meal replacement (Optifast) provided by the investigator for 12 weeks. Participants will be monitored weekly by the study dietician and medical staff.

Sponsors

Columbia University
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
CollaboratorNIH

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Cohort

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* 18-65 years old * BMI 35-55

Exclusion criteria

* No clinically significant medical conditions * No use of tobacco * No alcohol or drug abuse * No recent weight change (+/-5%) within prior 6 months * No medications that may affect body weight or blood glucose * No diabetes medications, beta-blockers, opiates or glucocorticoids * No pregnancy, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant during the study (diet group only) * No lactose intolerance

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in the levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proopiomelanocortin (POMC) derived peptides (fmol/ml) that occur in subjects after diet induced weight loss compared to RYGB and SG.Up to 12 monthsPOMC plays a critical role in regulating energy balance and levels decrease in the hypothalamus after diet-induced weight loss; this may lead to weight regain after dieting.
Comparison of changes in the CSF proteome that occur after diet-induced weight-loss compared to RYGB and SG using unbiased proteomic analysis.Up to 12 months

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Comparison of the changes in Agouti-related protein (AgRP) concentrations (fmol/ml) in CSF and plasma that occur in subjects after diet induced weight loss compared to RYGB and SG.Up to 12 monthsAgRP is neuropeptide that stimulates food intake and increases after diet-induced weight loss.
Comparison of changes in CSF cortisol (ng/mL) that occur in subjects after diet induced weight loss compared to RYGB and SG.Up to 12 months

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSharon L Wardlaw, MD

Columbia University

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026