Ghrelin in small-for-gestational age (SGA) newborn babies: a cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
Small-for-gestational newborn babies may have long-term metabolic consequences. Among the main hormones possibly involved in foetal growth regulation are the IGFs, IGFBPs and the recently described ghrelin.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the levels of desacyl-ghrelin, IGF-1, IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 in children Small-for-gestational age (SGA) and children adequate-for-gestational age (AGA).


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional and comparative study.


METHODS
We included 40 children SGA and 40 children AGA.


METHODS
Blood sample was taken a week after birth and measuring hormonal levels were done by ELISA.


RESULTS
SGA babies had lower IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and leptin levels, but higher ghrelin and IGFBP-1 levels. Birth weight was associated independently with ghrelin and IGFBP-1 (negatively) and IGFBP-3 (positively). Ghrelin circulating levels were associated negative and independently with IGFBP-3 and triglycerides in the mother.


CONCLUSIONS
We interpreted these findings to indicate that diminished body weight in newborns induce different adaptive signals, some of them mediated by IGF-1/IGFBP-3, ghrelin or by IGFBP-1. This regulation is congruent with the proposed role of ghrelin to adaptation to under-nutrition favouring lipid accumulation. CONCyTEG grant number 05-16-K117-028.
Méndez-Ramírez
Francisco
F
Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, México.
Barbosa-Sabanero
Gloria
G
Romero-Gutiérrez
Gustavo
G
Malacara
Juan Manuel
JM
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000097:blood*; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 / Q000097:blood; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy
D054439:Ghrelin; C032231:IGFBP1 protein, human; C515497:IGFBP3 protein, human; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D020738:Leptin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I