From Menopause to Molecular Dysregulation: Proteomic Insights into Obesity-Related Pathways—A Narrative Review
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
SWAN | Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation |
BMI | Body Mass Index |
NHS | Nurses’ Health Study |
VAT | Visceral Adipose Tissue |
MCP-1 | Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 |
TNFα | Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha |
IL-1β | Interleukin 1 beta |
IL-6 | Interleukin 6 |
CRP | C-Reactive Protein |
IL-10 | Interleukin 10 |
C-peptide | Connecting Peptide |
EPO | Erythropoietin |
TGFβ | Transforming Growth Factor beta |
PI3K/Akt | Phosphoinositide 3-kinase / Protein Kinase B (Akt) pathway |
AGE/RAGE | Advanced Glycation End-products / Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-products |
IL-2 | Interleukin 2 |
IL-3 | Interleukin 3 |
IL-4 | Interleukin 4 |
IL-5 | Interleukin 5 |
IL-11 | Interleukin 11 |
Kit receptor | Tyrosine-protein kinase Kit |
FoxO | Forkhead Box O |
ATM | Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated |
IL-1 | Interleukin 1 |
IL-1α | Interleukin 1 alpha |
IP-10 | Interferon-inducible Protein 10 |
ICAM-1 | Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 |
HDL | High-Density Lipoprotein |
NFκB | Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells |
M2 | M2 Macrophage phenotype |
E1 | Estrone |
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Author, Year | - Study Design - Number of Participants - Sample Tested - Country | Aim of the Study | Inclusion Criteria | Study Findings |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sinatora et al., 2022 [1] | - Cross-sectional study - 70 participants - Serum samples - Brazil | Relationship between inflammatory markers and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women | (1) Postmenopausal women, (2) Obese (body fat percentage ≥35%), and (3) Not on hormone therapy | - Lower TNF-α and higher IL-10/TNF-α ratio in the metabolic syndrome group suggestive of inflammation in metabolic syndrome (p = 0.005). - IL-6, IL-10, and IL-10/IL-6 ratio, also suggestive of inflammation, were slightly higher in metabolic syndrome group, although not statistically significant. |
Klisic et al., 2023 [2] | - Cohort study - 126 participants - Serum samples - Montenegro | Serum endocan levels in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome | (1) Postmenopausal women, (2) BMI 29.3 (26.7–31.7) Kg/m2, (3) Not on hormone therapy, and (4) No serious health conditions | - Endocan levels were noted to be almost 2.7 times higher in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome (p < 0.001), suggestive of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. - CRP was higher in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome (p < 0.001), suggestive of inflammation. |
Stevens et al., 2020 [3] | - Cohort study - 1534 participants - Serum samples - United States | Metabolomic profiles associated with BMI, and waist circumference | (1) Postmenopausal women, and (2) Different ranges of BMI and waist circumference, (3) Cancer free. | - Higher BMI and waist circumference were positively associated with higher levels of C-reactive protein and C-peptide (p < 0.001), suggestive of inflammation and insulin resistance, while adiponectin levels were inversely associated (p < 0.001), suggesting that greater adiposity is associated with adverse metabolic and inflammatory profiles. |
Garrison et al., 2017 [4] | - Cohort study - 924 samples - Plasma - United States | Proteomic analysis, immune dysregulation, and pathway interconnections with obesity | (1) Postmenopausal women, (2) overweight/obese, (3) No other chronic diseases and cancer free | - The following proteins were noted to be significantly different between overweight/obese and normal BMI groups in 1 of the 4 study sample sets: Catalase, Aldehyde dehydrogenase, Apolipoprotein A-I, fibrinogen gamma chain, Parkinson disease protein 7, Coagulation factor V, Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, Vimentin, and Annexin A5. - Significantly dysregulated soluble inflammatory mediator pathways include T cell receptor signaling, PI3K–Akt, prolactin, and AGE–RAGE in diabetic complications, along with leptin, Oncostatin M, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-11, EPO receptor, TGF-beta, Kit receptor, interferon type I signaling, and transforming growth factor beta receptor signaling were significantly dysregulated in the overweight/obese group compared to those with normal BMI. - Dysregulated cellular stress pathways involve HIF-1, TNF, FoxO, and phospholipase D signaling, with additional alterations in the AGE/RAGE and Oncostatin M pathways, angiogenesis, nanoparticle-mediated receptor signaling, ATM-dependent DNA damage response, alpha 6 beta 4 signaling, Notch signaling, and regulation of apoptotic and stress responses were significantly dysregulated in the overweight/obese group compared to those with normal BMI. - Metabolic dysregulation pathways include AGE–RAGE in diabetic complications, PI3K–Akt, FoxO signaling, and insulin-related pathways such as insulin receptor signaling, response to insulin stimulus, and cellular response to hormone and peptide hormone stimuli were significantly dysregulated in the overweight/obese group compared to those with normal BMI. |
Wong et al., 2008 [5] | - Cohort - 290 participants - Blood - United States | Weight loss and its impact on cytokine levels | (1) Postmenopausal, (2) overweight or obese: waist circumference >80 cm and a body mass index of 25–39.9, (4) blood pressure <140/90 mmHg, (5) a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level between 100 and 160 mg/dL, (6) no current use of cholesterol-lowering medication, (7) no diagnosis of diabetes or use of diabetic medication | - Lower levels of IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-6, and C-reactive protein (p < 0.05), cytokines involved in inflammation, were reported with weight loss. - Lower levels of other inflammatory markers, such as IL-1α, IL-4, IL-10, Interferon-inducible protein-10, Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and Tumor necrosis factor-α, and an increase in IL-8 were reported with weight loss, although not statistically significant. |
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Katamesh, B.E.; Edakkanambeth Varayil, J.; Pillai, N.; Vincent, A. From Menopause to Molecular Dysregulation: Proteomic Insights into Obesity-Related Pathways—A Narrative Review. Biomedicines 2025, 13, 1558. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13071558
Katamesh BE, Edakkanambeth Varayil J, Pillai N, Vincent A. From Menopause to Molecular Dysregulation: Proteomic Insights into Obesity-Related Pathways—A Narrative Review. Biomedicines. 2025; 13(7):1558. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13071558
Chicago/Turabian StyleKatamesh, Basant E., Jithinraj Edakkanambeth Varayil, Nina Pillai, and Ann Vincent. 2025. "From Menopause to Molecular Dysregulation: Proteomic Insights into Obesity-Related Pathways—A Narrative Review" Biomedicines 13, no. 7: 1558. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13071558
APA StyleKatamesh, B. E., Edakkanambeth Varayil, J., Pillai, N., & Vincent, A. (2025). From Menopause to Molecular Dysregulation: Proteomic Insights into Obesity-Related Pathways—A Narrative Review. Biomedicines, 13(7), 1558. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13071558