The effect of lifestyle intervention in severely obese subjects on the soluble form of Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule (ALCAM)

Introduction/Background: Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) functions as a pattern recognition receptor and its soluble form, sALCAM, is involved in ALCAM-dependent and -independent immune mechanism(s). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a lifestyle intervention in obesity on sALCAM serum concentration and its association with metabolic parameters.

Methods: Thirty severely obese subjects were randomly selected from the OPTIFAST®52 program. This program was divided for the purpose of this study into 2 crucial phases: an initial 12-week active weight reduction phase, followed by a 40-week weight maintenance phase. At baseline, after 12 weeks and at the end of the program, fasting glucose and insulin, total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, adiponectin, leptin, high sensitivity CRP, sALCAM, Homeostasis Model Assessment Index (HOMA index) and Leptin-to-Adiponectin-Ratio were determined. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed when indicated.

Results: At baseline, the serum concentration of sALCAM was increased and correlated positively with HOMA index and negatively with age. At the end of the program, sALCAM concentrations decreased significantly by 11%. Multivariate analysis showed that sALCAM significantly correlated with age, glucose concentration after 2h OGTT and the HOMA index. A higher decrease of HOMA index during the study was observed in subjects with higher concentration of sALCAM at baseline.

Conclusions: sALCAM might be a novel biomarker in obesity that correlates and predicts insulin sensitivity improvement and that can be significantly affected by lifestyle intervention.