Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) has recently been suggested to play a role in lipolysis. Our aim was to study the regulation of CES1 expression in human adipose tissue. In the SOS Sib Pair Study, CES1 expression was higher in obese compared with lean sisters (n=78 pairs, P=8.7x10(-18)) and brothers (n=12 pairs, P=0.048). CES1 expression was higher in subcutaneous compared with omental adipose tissue in lean (P=0.027) and obese subjects (P=0.00036), and reduced during diet-induced weight loss (n=24, weeks 8, 16, and 18 compared to baseline, P<0.0001 for all time points). CES1 expression was higher in isolated adipocytes compared with intact adipose tissue (P=0.0018) and higher in large compared with small adipocytes (P=4.1x10(-6)). Basal and stimulated lipolysis was not different in individuals with high, intermediate, and low expression of CES1. Thus, CES1 expression was linked to body fat and adipocyte fat content but not to lipolytic activity.