Gender difference of circulating ghrelin and leptin concentrations in chronic Helicobacter pylori infection.
BACKGROUND
Both ghrelin and leptin are important appetite hormones secreted from the stomach. We examined whether demographic background, Helicobacter pylori infection, or its related gastritis severity could be associated with circulating ghrelin and leptin levels.


METHODS
This study prospectively enrolled 341 dyspeptic patients (196 females, 145 males), who had received endoscopy to provide the gastric specimens over both antrum and corpus for histology reviewed by the updated Sydney's system. The fasting blood sample of each patient was obtained for total ghrelin and leptin analysis.


RESULTS
Without H. pylori infection, there were similar ghrelin levels between female and male patients. In the H. pylori-infected patients, the males had lower plasma ghrelin levels than females (1053 vs. 1419 pg/mL, p < .001). Only in males, not in females, the H. pylori infection and its related acute and chronic inflammation scores were significantly associated with a lower ghrelin level (p < or = .04). The multivariate regression disclosed that only the chronic inflammation score independently related to a lower ghrelin level. Only in males, the ghrelin levels ranked in a downward trend for the gastritis feature as with limited-gastritis, with antrum-predominant gastritis, and with corpus-gastritis (1236, 1101, and 977 pg/mL). Leptin level was not related to H. pylori-related gastritis, but positively related to body mass index.


CONCLUSIONS
There should be a gender difference to circulating total ghrelin levels, but not leptin levels, in response to H. pylori infection and its related chronic gastritis.
Chuang
Chiao-Hsiung
CH
Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College and Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Sheu
Bor-Shyang
BS
Yang
Hsiao-Bai
HB
Lee
Shui-Cheng
SC
Kao
Ai-Wen
AW
Cheng
Hsiu-Chi
HC
Chang
Wei-Lun
WL
Yao
Wei-Jen
WJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D054439:Ghrelin; D020738:Leptin