Elevated blood active ghrelin and unaltered total ghrelin and obestatin concentrations in prostate carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Ghrelin and its functional receptor are highly expressed in prostate cancer (PC) and ghrelin may activate proliferation of PC cell lines. This study was therefore designed to characterize the association between serum acylated and total ghrelin, and obestatin levels in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and PC.


METHODS
Blood serum concentrations of active and total ghrelin and obestatin were estimated by EIA methods.


RESULTS
Serum level of active ghrelin in PC was significantly higher compared to control and BPH groups. On the other hand, concentrations of total ghrelin and of obestatin did not differ between studied groups of patients. In the control group the ratio of active to total ghrelin concentrations amounted to 0.16, and it was similar in BPH (0.14), while it was notably elevated in PC (0.42). Also the ratio of active ghrelin to obestatin concentrations was higher in the group with PC than in the control and BPH groups. In all studied groups, the ratio of total circulating ghrelin to obestatin was similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Obtained results suggest the link between elevated blood active ghrelin and PC, and we cannot exclude that elevated circulating active ghrelin may affect growth of malignant prostatic tissues.
Malendowicz
Witold
W
Department of Urology and Urooncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland. wmalen@amp.edu.pl
Ziolkowska
Agnieszka
A
Szyszka
Marta
M
Kwias
Zbigniew
Z
D000368:Aged; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*
D054439:Ghrelin