Impact of weight loss on plasma ghrelin level, clinical, and metabolic features of obese women with or without polycystic ovary syndrome

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive endocrine co-morbidity of obesity. Ghrelin is a peptide which regulates food intake and body weight. The aim of this study was to measure ghrelin levels in obesity and PCOS and to evaluate the impact of weight loss on plasma ghrelin level, metabolic, and phenotypic features of PCOS. This prospective comparative study enrolled obese women without PCOS (N = 60) and obese PCOS women (n = 50) and 85 control groups. Body compositions including fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Plasma ghrelin concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Our results revealed that plasma ghrelin levels were lower in PCOS patients compared to obese (9.49 ± 5.59 ng/ml) and controls (48.21 ± 21.09 ng/ml). Moreover, it was negatively correlated to anthropometric measures, glycemic, lipid profile, and the phenotype characteristics of PCOS. Interestingly, after 12 weeks of following the Mediterranean diet (MD)-based weight loss program, ghrelin levels were increased in both obese groups. Conclusion Successful weight loss leads to increase ghrelin levels in both obese and PCOS groups.

The effect of therapy on plasma ghrelin and leptin levels, and appetite in children with iron deficiency anemia

Background It is known that iron deficiency anemia effects appetite and growth negatively. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of iron therapy on appetite, growth and plasma ghrelin and leptin levels in children aged between 12 and 24 months with isolated nutritional iron deficiency anemia. Methods Iron deficiency anemia was diagnosed by clinic and laboratory findings. All 19 cases were given 5 mg/kg/day iron therapy for 3 months. Results The mean plasma ghrelin level was 936.7±428.8 pg/mL before therapy and it increased to 1284.7±533.3 pg/mL (p<0.001) while the mean plasma leptin level decreased from 3.4±1.6 ng/mL to 1.9±1.0 ng/mL (p<0.01) after therapy. The amount of daily caloric intake, carbohydrate and protein intake were significantly increased after therapy (p<0.001). Δ body weight was correlated with plasma ghrelin levels before and after therapy significantly. Conclusions In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that plasma ghrelin level increases and leptin level decreases and growth accelerates because of an increase in appetite and daily calories, carbohydrate and protein amount in children with nutritional iron deficiency anemia after iron therapy. The increase in appetite and acceleration on growth in iron deficiency anemia might result from decreased leptin and increased plasma ghrelin levels. The most important finding of this study is significantly increased plasma ghrelin levels after iron therapy, and this finding might be related to both the improved appetite and catch-up growth.

Altered Ghrelin Secretion Pattern and Sense of Hunger by Providing Low and High Density Breakfast in Obese Female Adolescents

Introduction: Ghrelin has been recognized to have a major influence on energy balance. Hence, the discovery of various regulatory factors that control ghrelin secretion may have major implications for the development of drugs and diet control. This study aims to analyze differences in ghrelin secretion pattern and prevention of hunger in the provision of breakfast in low-calorie breakfast, low energy density and high energy density in obese female adolescents.Methods: Subjects were female students aged 18-22 years with a BMI=25 kg/m², receiving low-calorie breakfast with low (n=8) and high energy density (n=8). Before the breakfast, subjects fasted for 12 hours and were subjected to plasma ghrelin level and hunger measurement using visual analog scale (VAS). Breakfast was done at 08.00, divided into three parts and each was taken for 5 minutes. Measurement of plasma ghrelin was carried out again post prandial (PP) at 2 hours and 4 hours. VAS filling was done 1 hour PP, 2 hours PP, 3 hours PP, and 4 hours PP.Result: There were differences in plasma ghrelin level, but not significant. VAS 1 analysis of hunger (p=0.040) at 4 hours PP and VAS 3 of satiety (p=0.025) was significantly different at 3 hours PP. Conclusion: Food density did not affect the plasma ghrelin levels. Low density foods are more effective to prevent hunger in 4 hours PP and increases satiety in 3 hours PP.

Association of plasma ghrelin levels with diabetic nephropathy

Background:Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide hormone which is produced in various tissues such as the kidney. It is proposed that this hormone exerts a broad spectrum of biological functions throughout the body. Ghrelin carries out endocrine and/or paracrine functions in the kidney, which seems to be one of the target tissues of this hormone. Results regarding circulating ghrelin levels in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetic nephropathy (DN) patients are conflicting. We aimed to investigate the plasma ghrelin levels in type 2 diabetic patients with and without nephropathy.Methods:A total of 45 patients with DN and 45 patients with diabetes without diabetic nephropathy (NDN) were recruited for this study. Plasma ghrelin levels were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The association of plasma ghrelin with concentrations of fasting glucose (FBS), creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides (TG) and anthropometric parameters was analyzed.Results:Plasma ghrelin concentration in the DN group was 1.16 (1.01–1.38) ng/mL and in the NDN group was 1.16 (0.92–1.41) ng/mL, so there were no significant differences between the two groups (p=0.467). In the NDN group, ghrelin showed an inverse correlation with TG (r=−0.467, p=0.001) and a direct correlation with HDL (r=0.562, p=0.000) but in the DN group these correlations were not found.Conclusions:Our findings implicated no relationship between the plasma ghrelin level and renal dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients. Therefore, plasma ghrelin level may not be a probable indicator of kidney insufficiency in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Furthermore, we also found a positive correlation between ghrelin and HDL and an inverse correlation with TG levels.