Plasma Levels of Intact and Degraded Ghrelin and Their Responses to Glucose Infusion in Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Octanoylated ghrelin (1-28) (intact ghrelin) is rapidly and easily degraded to desoctanoyl forms or smaller fragments (degraded ghrelin). Plasma levels of intact and degraded ghrelin were examined in 30 patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) (body mass index, 8.81-22.4 kg/m(2)) and 16 age-matched healthy women using several assay methods. Plasma levels of ghrelin measured using immunocomplex transfer-enzyme immunoassay, which specifically detects intact ghrelin, were lower in AN than controls. Plasma ghrelin levels in AN measured using the active ghrelin ELISA kit, which is advertised as specifically detecting intact ghrelin, did not differ significantly from controls. Plasma levels of desoctanoyl ghrelin using the desacyl-ghrelin ELISA kit, N-terminus ghrelin using the ghrelin active RIA kit, and C-terminus ghrelin using the ghrelin total RIA kit were significantly higher in AN than controls, and displayed significant negative correlations with body mass index. Plasma levels of ghrelin determined using immunocomplex transfer-enzyme immunoassay or active ghrelin ELISA during iv glucose infusion were suppressed in both AN and controls, whereas plasma levels of degraded ghrelin levels were not significantly decreased in AN. Plasma levels of intact ghrelin are therefore not higher in AN than controls, whereas degraded forms of ghrelin are elevated in AN. Rapid suppression of plasma intact ghrelin, but not degraded ghrelin, occurs in AN in response to glucose infusion. The profiles of intact and degraded forms of ghrelin in plasma of AN patients differ from those of healthy women.

Ghrelin Increases Hunger and Food Intake in Patients with Restricting-type Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study

“…we previously reported mean levels of plasma active and desacyl ghrelin in healthy young women as 29.9 ± 3.1 and 94.1 ± 7.5 pmol/L, respectively [22]. in the present study, the plasma levels of active ghrelin in an patients ranged from 13 to 73 pmol/L (mean, 42) before ghrelin treatment and then did not show a significant change.…”

Altered fasting and postprandial plasma ghrelin levels in patients with liver failure are normalized after liver transplantation

“…The severity of liver disease was (median and range), according to ChildPugh: 9 (5-12) and the MELD: 14 (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23). Albumin (median and range) was decreased in liver failure patients when compared with the Cont group, 3.0 (2.6-4.6) vs 4.1 (3.4-5.3) g/dl, PZ0.009.…”

“…Acylated ghrelin has proved to be highly relevant in the development of metabolic disturbances, although total ghrelin has a well-established correlation with metabolic disturbances. In fact, most of the leading studies on the correlation between metabolic disturbances and ghrelin have focused on the estimation of total ghrelin (10,11,(13)(14)(15), and there are concerns about the specificity of available acylghrelin assays (17). We focused on measuring total ghrelin, with the aim of comparing our data with the discrepant total ghrelin levels that have been found in hepatic failure patients in different studies (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24).…”

Translational Research on the Clinical Applications of Ghrelin

“…Plasma ghrelin levels are elevated in lean patients with anorexia nervosa, consistent with a state of negative energy balance [37][38][39]. Only a few preliminary studies have been performed to examine the effects of ghrelin in individuals with AN.…”