Elevated plasma immunoreactive beta-endorphin in anorexia nervosa.
Basal morning plasma levels of immunoreactive-beta-endorphin (ir-beta-EP), and 17-beta estradiol (E2) were assessed in 25 adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) in comparison to 24 healthy controls. All subjects were drug free for at least 6 weeks. The mean plasma level of ir-beta-EP was significantly higher (84%) in the AN patients when compared with the control subjects. The elevated plasma ir-beta-EP may be relevant to the suppression of appetite, tolerance of fasting, and to the hypothalamic hypogonadism in AN.
Tepper
R
R
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel.
Weizman
A
A
Apter
A
A
Tyano
S
S
Beyth
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000097:blood*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology
D004958:Estradiol; D001615:beta-Endorphin