title: Helicobacter pylori has no effect on plasma ghrelin levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Helicobacter pylori is the major etiologic agent for chronic active gastritis, and it also plays a crucial role in gastric and duodenal ulcer disease, as well as in gastric carcinoma. H. pylori infection has been shown to decrease plasma somatostatin (SST) and increase plasma gastrin concentrations. Ghrelin is a recently discovered peptide produced mostly in the stomach of rodents and humans and is secreted into the bloodstream. There is no data in the literature about the relationship between H. pylori and ghrelin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine age- and BMI-matched H. pylori infection positive and negative women, from whom biopsy specimens were taken during gastric endoscopy, were included in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total ghrelin was measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in Medistek. All samples were measured in duplicate and averaged; results differing by more than 20% were re-assayed. Two biopsy specimens from antrum, corpus and fundus were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen of the subjects were H. pylori negative and 24 were H. pylori positive. Age, BMI, lipid profile and insulin sensitivity indices of the groups were similar. Plasma ghrelin levels (375.92+/-7.10 vs 370.00+/-4.14 pmol/l; P>0.05) of H. pylori negative and positive groups did not differ significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  H. pylori has no effect on plasma ghrelin concentration.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Division, Baskent University, Dadaloglu Mah, Serin Evler 39, Sok. No. 6, 01250 Yuregir, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gokcel
authors.forename: Yuksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gumurdulu
authors.forename: Fazilet
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kayaselcuk
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Serin
authors.forename: Birol
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: Akatli Kursad
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ozsahin
authors.forename: Nilgun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guvener
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy; D054439:Ghrelin; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D008055:Lipids; D036361:Peptide Hormones