Correlation between hyperghrelinemia and carotid artery intima-media thickness in children with Prader-Willi syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder characterized by childhood-onset obesity and endocrine dysfunction that leads to cardiovascular disability. The objective of the study is to assess the relationship between carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and atherosclerotic risk factors.


METHODS
Twenty-seven PWS children and 24 normal controls were enrolled. Correlations of IMT with atherosclerotic risk factors were assessed.


RESULTS
IMTs in the PWS group did not differ from those in the controls (p = 0.172), although total ghrelin levels were higher in the PWS children (p = 0.003). The multivariate analysis revealed positive correlations between total ghrelin levels ( = 0.489, p = 0.046) and IMT in the PWS group and between body mass index-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) ( = 0.697, p = 0.005) and IMT in the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Considering the positive correlation of IMT with total ghrelin levels and the high level of ghrelin in PWS children, a further study is warranted to evaluate the role of elevated ghrelin on atherosclerosis for PWS.
Kim
Su Jin
SJ
Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-dong, Gangman-gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
Paik
Kyung Hoon
KH
Kim
Dong-Ik
DI
Choe
Yon Ho
YH
Kim
Seon Woo
SW
Jin
Dong-Kyu
DK
D000293:Adolescent; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011218:Prader-Willi Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*
D054439:Ghrelin