title: Fasting plasma peptide YY concentrations are increased in patients with major depression who associate weight loss.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many patients with major depression refer a decreased appetite and weight loss among their symptoms. Peptide YY (PYY) and ghrelin belong to the family of peptides of the gut-brain axis implicated in the regulation of appetite and energy metabolism. PYY stimulates a powerful central satiety response and ghrelin increases food intake and weight gain. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) also contributes to the central control of food intake as an anorexigenic factor.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study fasting plasma total and acylated ghrelin, plasma PYY and serum BDNF levels in patients with major depression with weight loss as one of their symptoms and compare them with matched healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen adult patients, 9 male and 6 female, with recent diagnosis of major depression, and 16 healthy adult subjects, matched by age and anthropometric parameters were studied. All depressed patients referred weight loss and were not under antidepressant therapy. Fasting total PYY, total ghrelin and acylated ghrelin and BDNF were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fasting total PYY was higher in patients than controls (2.01±0.09 vs 1.29±0.16 pmol/l). There were no differences in fasting total ghrelin, acylated ghrelin or BDNF levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Major depressed patients, with weight loss at diagnosis, showed higher fasting plasma PYY levels that could contribute to their reduced appetite.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Sabadell Hospital, Sabadell (Barcelona), Spain. olga_gimenez@yahoo.com
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Giménez-Palop
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coronas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cobo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gallart
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Barbero
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fusté
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vendrell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: González-Clemente
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caixàs
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000328:Adult; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019894:Peptide YY / Q000097:blood*; D057566:Self Report; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D054439:Ghrelin; D019894:Peptide YY