Motif enrichment analysis on the promoter regions of significantly regulated mRNAs (FDR < 0.05) highlighted several transcription factors involved in the gene expression changes following surgery (Fig. 3E), notably STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) and CREB1 (cAMP responsive element binding protein 1), transcription factors that regulate inflammation, metabolism, and stress responses, which are critical in the context of metabolic diseases. Here, CREB1 is linked to metabolic disease.