Plasma acylated ghrelin levels correlate with subjective symptoms of functional dyspepsia in female patients.
OBJECTIVE
Ghrelin is a brain-gut peptide that is mainly secreted from gastric endocrine cells (X/A like cells). In addition to promoting growth-hormone release and appetite, ghrelin also affects gastric motility and secretion. Circulating ghrelin levels are related to appetite and energy balance. Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a disorder characterized by the presence of chronic or recurrent symptoms of upper abdominal pain or discomfort. Although no known specific organic abnormalities are present in FD, abnormalities in gastrointestinal motility and sensitivity are thought to play a role in a substantial subgroup of patients. In addition, some patients also suffer from anorexia and body-weight loss. To investigate the role of ghrelin in the pathophysiology of FD, circulating ghrelin levels in affected patients were measured.


METHODS
Eighteen Japanese female patients with functional dyspepsia and 18 healthy volunteers were recruited for the study. Acylated and desacyl forms of ghrelin were measured using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.


RESULTS
Although plasma levels of acylated or desacyl ghrelin were not significantly different between healthy subjects and FD patients, plasma acylated, but not desacyl ghrelin, levels were correlated with a subjective symptom score in FD patients. In addition, the ratio of acylated to desacyl ghrelin (A/D ratio) was correlated strongly with acylated, but not desacyl, ghrelin levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The correlation of circulating acylated ghrelin levels with the subjective symptom score and the A/D ratio in FD patients suggest that acylated ghrelin may play a role in the pathophysiology of FD.
Shinomiya
Toshiaki
T
Department of Psychosomatic Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
Fukunaga
Mikihiko
M
Akamizu
Takashi
T
Irako
Taiga
T
Yokode
Masayuki
M
Kangawa
Kenji
K
Nakai
Yoshihide
Y
Nakai
Yoshikatsu
Y
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D054439:Ghrelin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D007564:Japan; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D011336:Probability; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D054439:Ghrelin; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I