Cerebrospinal fluid peptide YY immunoreactivity in eating disorders.
Peptide YY (PYY), a recently discovered peptide, is a potent stimulant of eating behavior in rats. We developed a radioimmunoassay for PYY and measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels in subjects with anorexia nervosa, bulimia and matched normal controls. Bulimics who had abstained from bingeing for 30 days showed a dramatic increase in CSF PYY levels compared to normal values (p less than 0.001) or their own values when actively bingeing (p less than 0.01, paired t test). No differences were seen for anorexia nervosa. These results suggest that bulimic behavior may correct a central nervous system abnormality in PYY.
Berrettini
W H
WH
Clinical Neurogenetics Branch, NIHMH, Bethesda, Md.
Kaye
W H
WH
Gwirtsman
H
H
Allbright
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019894:Peptide YY; D010455:Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
D010455:Peptides; D019894:Peptide YY