Plasma ghrelin levels in children with chronic renal failure on peritoneal dialysis.
OBJECTIVE
Malnutrition and loss of appetite represent a serious problem in children with chronic renal failure. Ghrelin is a newly described hormone involved in control of growth hormone secretion, stimulation of food intake, and regulation of energy balance.


METHODS
Plasma ghrelin levels were compared between 12 children on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) and 9 children on conservative treatment of chronic renal failure. Eight healthy children matched for age and body mass index (BMI) served as a control group.


RESULTS
Plasma ghrelin levels were similar in children on APD (698.3 +/- 59.7 pg/mL) and children on conservative treatment (675.4 +/- 41.9 pg/mL) compared to healthy controls (700.1 +/- 24.7 pg/mL). There was no difference in plasma ghrelin levels in children with chronic renal failure regardless of the method of treatment (peritoneal dialysis vs conservative treatment). The plasma ghrelin index was similar in all three investigated groups: APD 40.2 +/- 8.7 vs conservative treatment 39.1 +/- 5.6 vs controls 41.0 +/- 7.8 (pg/mL)/BMI (kg/m2). Plasma ghrelin levels did not correlate with age, duration of dialysis treatment, height, weight, BMI, creatinine and urea levels, adequacy parameters, or nightly glucose load.


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma ghrelin levels in children on APD were not different from levels in children on conservative treatment or healthy controls with comparable BMI. The persistent state of toxic influence of uremic end-products could be responsible for such a lack of correlation with anthropometrical parameters. Further studies on a larger group of children on APD are needed to clarify the effect of ghrelin on nutritional status in children with chronic renal failure.
Szczepańska
Maria
M
Clinic of Pediatrics, Nephrology and Endocrinology of Childhood, Department of Pediatrics, Silesian University of Medicine, Zabrze, Poland. dializy_dzieciece_zabrze@poczta.onet.pl
Szprynger
Krystyna
K
Mazur
Bogdan
B
Zwolińska
Danuta
D
Kiliś-Pstrusińska
Katarzyna
K
Makulska
Irena
I
D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D013006:Growth Hormone