Perfil Metabolômico e Lipidômico do Soro de Indivíduos Com e Sem Obesidade: Contribuições para a Compreensão do Eixo Obesidade-Câncer

Abstract

Obesity is a multifactorial condition associated with systemic metabolic alterations and is recognized as a risk factor for the development of different types of cancer. Considering the metabolic heterogeneity of obesity and the proposed distinction between metabolically healthy obesity and obesity associated with comorbidities, the present study aimed to evaluate and compare the metabolomic and lipidomic profiles in the serum of individuals without obesity, with obesity, and with obesity associated with comorbidities, investigating whether the observed alterations are related to metabolic pathways and molecules associated with carcinogenesis. The study population was characterized according to demographic and anthropometric variables, including age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Metabolomic and lipidomic analyses were performed by mass spectrometry, using multivariate (PCA and PLS-DA) and univariate approaches to identify metabolites and lipids differentially expressed among the groups. Additionally, associations between the abundance of these molecules and BMI were investigated, as well as the impact of biological sex and different degrees of obesity on the analyzed profiles. The results demonstrated that individuals with obesity exhibit consistent alterations in metabolites and lipids mainly related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid remodeling, including compounds positively correlated with BMI. No exclusive metabolomic or lipidomic profile was identified for obesity associated with comorbidities, suggesting that the observed alterations reflect a shared metabolic pattern throughout the progression of obesity. Taken together, these findings reinforce the relevance of lipid and oxidative metabolism in the obesity–cancer axis and contribute to a better understanding of the metabolic mechanisms associated with tumor risk in obese individuals.