Gallstone Formation Follows a Different Trajectory in Bariatric Patients Compared to Nonbariatric Patients

Since obese patients form cholesterol gallstones very rapidly after bariatric surgery, in patients who did not form gallstones during preceding years, we hypothesized that gallstone formation follows a different trajectory in bariatric patients compared to nonbariatric patients. We therefore analyzed the lipid composition of gallbladder bile derived from 18 bariatric gallstone patients and 17 nonbariatric gallstone patients (median (IQR) age, 46.0 (28.0–54.0) years; 33 (94%) female) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy using an enzymatic and lipidomics approach. We observed a higher concentration of total lipids (9.9 vs. 5.8 g/dL), bile acids (157.7 vs. 81.5 mM), cholesterol (10.6 vs. 5.4 mM), and phospholipids (30.4 vs. 21.8 mM) in bariatric gallstone patients compared to nonbariatric gallstone patients. The cholesterol saturation index did not significantly differ between the two groups. Lipidomics analysis revealed an interesting pattern. Enhanced amounts of a number of lipid species were found in the gallbladder bile of nonbariatric gallstone patients. Most striking was a fivefold higher amount of triglyceride. A concomitant ninefold increase of apolipoprotein B was found, suggesting secretion of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) at the canalicular pole of the hepatocyte in livers from nonbariatric gallstone patients. These findings suggest that gallstone formation follows a different trajectory in bariatric patients compared to nonbariatric patients. Impaired gallbladder emptying might explain the rapid gallstone formation after bariatric surgery, while biliary TRL secretion might contribute to gallstone formation in nonbariatric patients.