Sex-Specific Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Transcriptome in Obesity: Insights From Monozygotic Twin Pairs Discordant for BMI.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

We investigated the impact of sex on the subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) transcriptome and its obesity-related adaptations.

Methods

We studied rare BMI-discordant monozygotic twin pairs (ΔBMI > 2.5 kg/m²; 21 female, 16 male pairs) to assess how sex affects AT and whole-body metabolism. AT RNA sequencing was analyzed using linear mixed modeling and pathway enrichment for: (1) sex differences in individual twins, adjusted for BMI, (2) sex-stratified effects of acquired obesity (ΔBMI between co-twins separately in females and males), (3) sex-specific effects of obesity (differences in the ΔBMI effect between sexes).

Results

(1) AT transcriptional profiles differed between sexes, associating with insulin sensitivity. (2) Sex-stratified obesity effect

SUBMITTER: Haltia H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12850595 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature