The decrease in serum IL-18 levels after bariatric surgery in morbidly obese women is a time-dependent event.

Background: We have evaluated the impact of the reproductive status of morbidly obese women, and of the time elapsed since surgery, on the response of the proinflammatory serum cardiovascular risk marker interleukin-18 (IL-18) to the sustained and marked weight loss achieved after bariatric surgery.

Methods: Serum IL-18 levels were measured in 33 morbidly obese women before bariatric surgery and after losing at least 15% of the initial weight, irrespective of the time needed to achieve this goal (5 to 33 months).

Results: Patients lost 30.7 +/- 7.8% of the initial weight, with a concomitant reduction of serum IL-18 concentrations (P<0.001). A stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the percentual decrease in serum IL-18 levels was determined by the interaction between the time elapsed since surgery and the percentual reduction of waist circumference (R2 = 0.333, F = 15.500, beta = 0.577, P<0.001), but not by the individual effects of the time elapsed since surgery, percentual body weight loss, percentual reduction of waist circumference, menopausal status or type of surgical procedure, or by the interaction between the time elapsed since surgery with the percentual body weight loss or with menopausal status.

Conclusion: Serum IL-18 levels decrease after bariatric surgery in a time-dependent manner, in relation to the reduction in waist circumference. The fact that the amelioration of the obesity-associated inflammatory process requires time and not only weight loss, might contribute to explain early non-surgical cardiovascular complications of bariatric surgery.