A systems biology approach to study non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) in women with obesity

Abraham S. Meijnikman; Dimitra Lappa; Hilde Herrema; Omrum Aydin; Kimberly A. Krautkramer; Valentina Tremaroli; Louise E. Olofsson; Annika Lundqvist; Sjoerd Bruin; Yair Acherman; Joanne Verheij; Siv Hjorth; Victor E.A. Gerdes; Thue W. Schwartz; Albert K. Groen; Fredrik Bäckhed; Jens Nielsen; Max Nieuwdorp

iScience (Aug 2022)

A systems biology approach to study non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) in women with obesity

Abraham S. Meijnikman,
Dimitra Lappa,
Hilde Herrema,
Omrum Aydin,
Kimberly A. Krautkramer,
Valentina Tremaroli,
Louise E. Olofsson,
Annika Lundqvist,
Sjoerd Bruin,
Yair Acherman,
Joanne Verheij,
Siv Hjorth,
Victor E.A. Gerdes,
Thue W. Schwartz,
Albert K. Groen,
Fredrik Bäckhed,
Jens Nielsen,
Max Nieuwdorp

Affiliations

Abraham S. Meijnikman: Departments of Internal and Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Surgery, Spaarne Hospital, Hoofddorp, the Netherlands; Corresponding author
Dimitra Lappa: Systems and Synthetic Biology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Hilde Herrema: Departments of Internal and Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Omrum Aydin: Departments of Internal and Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Surgery, Spaarne Hospital, Hoofddorp, the Netherlands
Kimberly A. Krautkramer: Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Valentina Tremaroli: Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Louise E. Olofsson: Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Annika Lundqvist: Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Sjoerd Bruin: Department of Surgery, Spaarne Hospital, Hoofddorp, the Netherlands
Yair Acherman: Department of Surgery, Spaarne Hospital, Hoofddorp, the Netherlands
Joanne Verheij: Department of Pathology, UMC, University of Amsterdam, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Siv Hjorth: Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Victor E.A. Gerdes: Departments of Internal and Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Surgery, Spaarne Hospital, Hoofddorp, the Netherlands
Thue W. Schwartz: Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Albert K. Groen: Departments of Internal and Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Fredrik Bäckhed: Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Heath and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Clinical Physiology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Jens Nielsen: Systems and Synthetic Biology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden; Corresponding author
Max Nieuwdorp: Departments of Internal and Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Corresponding author

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 25, no. 8
p. 104828

Abstract

Read online

Summary: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most frequent global chronic liver disease. Individuals with NAFLD exhibited an increased risk of all-cause mortality driven by extrahepatic cancers and liver and cardiovascular disease. Once the disease is established, women have a higher risk of disease progression and worse outcome. It is therefore critical to deepen the current knowledge on the pathophysiology of NAFLD in women. Here, we used a systems biology approach to investigate the contribution of different organs to this disease. We analyzed transcriptomics profiles of liver and adipose tissues, fecal metagenomes, and plasma metabolomes of 55 women with and without NAFLD. We observed differences in metabolites, expression of human genes, and gut microbial features between the groups and revealed that there is substantial crosstalk between these different omics sets. Multi-omics analysis of individuals with NAFLD may provide novel strategies to study the pathophysiology of NAFLD in humans.

Published in iScience

ISSN: 2589-0042 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science
Website: http://www.cell.com/iscience/home

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords