title: Changes of orexin A plasma levels in girls with anorexia nervosa during eight weeks of realimentation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Orexin A (OXA) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide involved in regulation of food intake and nutritional status. There are multiple disturbances of neuropeptide signaling described in girls with anorexia nervosa (AN), but OXA levels have not been addressed in this population to date. Therefore, we analyzed OXA levels of AN girls in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  OXA (radioimmunoassay/RIA/method), leptin, insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and insulinlike growth factor-1 binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels were measured before and after 8 weeks of realimentation in 36 girls with AN and in 14 healthy controls (control group: CG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average weight increased significantly in AN during the study (p < .0001), while plasma levels of OXA decreased (before realimentation: 56.2 ± 2.4 pg/ml; after realimentation: 47.5 ± 1.4 pg/ml; p = .0025). OXA levels before realimentation differed from levels in the CG (47.15 ± 2.6 pg/ml, p = .034), but not afterward. We did not find any correlation between OXA and age, height, weight, BMI; or IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and leptin levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OXA levels in untreated AN patients differ significantly from healthy subjects and decrease during realimentation. These findings indicate that OXA may be involved in the nutritional regulation of malnourished children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Second Medical Faculty, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic. bronsky@email.cz
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bronsky
authors.forename: Jara
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nedvidkova
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krasnicanova
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vesela
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmidtova
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koutek
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kellermayer
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chada
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kabelka
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hrdlicka
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nevoral
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prusa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000097:blood*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D000068797:Orexins
chemical_list: C000596229:HCRT protein, human; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020738:Leptin; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000068797:Orexins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I