title: Increased density of ghrelin-expressing cells in the gastric fundus and body in Prader-Willi syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The levels of ghrelin, an orexigenic hormone secreted by oxyntic cells in the digestive tract, are elevated in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and GH deficiency (GHD) patients. In this study, we hypothesized that the hyperghrelinemia observed in PWS is related to IGF-I or GH/IGF axis deficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the densities of ghrelin-expressing cells (GECs), the amounts of ghrelin in gastric tissues, and ghrelin levels in plasma in 16 PWS patients and compared these results with those of 13 GHD patients and comparison groups (19 normal lean and 10 normal obese subjects).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the gastric body and fundus, 2- to 3-fold increases in the numbers of GECs (P < 0.001) and in the amounts of ghrelin (P < 0.018) were noted in PWS patients vs. comparison groups, whereas GEC numbers in GHD patients were similar to those of the comparison group despite elevated fasting plasma ghrelin levels. In addition, IGF-I sd scores in PWS were not found to be correlated with GEC densities, the amounts of ghrelin expressed in gastric tissues, or plasma ghrelin levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that IGF-I or GH/IGF axis deficiency appears to be unrelated to observed GEC increases in the stomach of patients with PWS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Il-Won Dong, Gang-Nam Gu, Seoul, 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: Yon Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.forename: Sang Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Kyung-Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Yoo Joung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Su-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Sung Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yeo
authors.forename: Eun Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Eun Mee
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mee Yong
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Rha
authors.forename: Dong-Kyu
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002452:Cell Count; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005748:Gastric Fundus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D054439:Ghrelin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011218:Prader-Willi Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D043202:Steroid Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I