Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. Jun 22, 2026; 17(2): 120474
Published online Jun 22, 2026. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.120474
Published online Jun 22, 2026. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.120474
Body mass index and gastrointestinal inflammation: Bio-molecular pathophysiology
Roberto Anaya-Prado, Andrea M Murrieta-Verduzco, Ivanna R Peña-Mascorro, Anna C Portillo-Valles, Alejandro Calderon-Velazquez, Hector Lopez-Hernandez, Dalia G Monge-Rosales, Jose L Montes de Oca-Martinez, Christopher E Castellanos-Garcia, Gustavo Servin-Romero, Ana P Cardenas-Fregoso, Department of Research, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Zapopan 45116, Jalisco, Mexico
Roberto Anaya-Prado, Andrea M Murrieta-Verduzco, Ivanna R Peña-Mascorro, Anna C Portillo-Valles, Alejandro Calderon-Velazquez, Hector Lopez-Hernandez, Dalia G Monge-Rosales, Jose L Montes de Oca-Martinez, Christopher E Castellanos-Garcia, Gustavo Servin-Romero, Roberto Anaya-Fernández, Michelle M Anaya-Fernández, Consuelo C Azcona-Ramirez, Direction of Research and Education, Corporate Hospitals Puerta de Hierro, Zapopan 45116, Jalisco, Mexico
Roberto Anaya-Fernández, Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Dr. Valentin Gómez Farias, ISSSTE, Zapopan 45100, Jalisco, Mexico
Ana P Cardenas-Fregoso, Department of Research, Université de Genève, UNIGE, Genève 1211, Switzerland
Cynthia N Heredia-Garcia, Department of Internal Medicine, High Specialty Medical Unit 25, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Monterrey 67100, Nuevo León, Mexico
Author contributions: Anaya-Prado R, Murrieta-Verduzco AM, Peña-Mascorro IR, Portillo-Valles AC, Calderon-Velazquez A, Lopez-Hernandez H performed research; Monge-Rosales DG, Montes de Oca-Martinez JL, Castellanos-Garcia CE, Servin-Romero G, Anaya-Fernandez R, Cardenas-Fregoso AP, Anaya-Fernandez MM, Azcona-Ramirez CC, Heredia-Garcia CN contributed new analytic tools; Anaya-Prado R, Murrieta-Verduzco AM, Peña-Mascorro IR, Portillo-Valles AC, Anaya-Fernandez R, Cardenas-Fregoso AP, Anaya-Fernandez MM, Azcona-Ramirez CC analyzed data; Murrieta-Verduzco AM, Peña-Mascorro IR, Portillo-Valles AC, Calderon-Velazquez A, Lopez-Hernandez H, Monge-Rosales DG, Anaya-Fernandez R, Cardenas-Fregoso AP wrote the paper; all authors contributed equally to the conception, literature review, drafting, the overall content and revising of the article; all authors contributed equally to the conception, literature review, drafting, the overall content, and revising of the article; we all approved the version of the manuscript to be published.
AI contribution statement: The authors have declared that no AI contributions exist, all images are original works integrated by the authors.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Corresponding author: Roberto Anaya-Prado, MD, MSc, PhD, FACS, Professor, Department of Research, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Blvd Puerta de Hierro, No. 5150 Int 201B. Fraccionamiento Puerta de Hierro, Zapopan 45116, Jalisco, Mexico. robana1112@gmail.com
Received: February 27, 2026
Revised: May 10, 2026
Accepted: June 1, 2026
Published online: June 22, 2026
Processing time: 109 Days and 14.7 Hours
Revised: May 10, 2026
Accepted: June 1, 2026
Published online: June 22, 2026
Processing time: 109 Days and 14.7 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Obesity has been recognized as a systemic metabolic condition and modulator of immune homeostasis. An impaired control of anti-inflammatory mediators has been associated with reduced levels of short-chain fatty acids. Some of these mediators involve interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, among others. These phenomena further perpetuate the inflammatory process all over the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Current evidence demonstrates that higher body mass index is linked to a chronic low-grade pro-inflammatory state (“metainflammation”) and several GI-relevant processes. In this article, we review the bimolecular inflammatory processes that have an impact on the GI tract and collateral organs such as the liver.