title: Paediatric endocrine aspects of ghrelin.
abstract: Ghrelin is a 28 amino-acid brain-gut peptide that is well-known for its orexigenic and metabolic effects leading to an overall positive energy balance. It stimulates appetite and growth hormone release via the GHS-R1a receptors. GOAT has been identified as the enzyme that acylates ghrelin, which is important for its endocrine function. The ghrelin/GHS-R/GOAT system has been studied extensively in view of its association with several endocrine diseases and the potential of developing an effective treatment. These include obesity, Prader-Willi syndrome, anorexia nervosa and diabetes mellitus. Ghrelin system has also been associated with growth and stature. All these conditions can affect children and have a significant impact on the quality of health and life prognosis. In this review, we look into the association of ghrelin with appetite, growth and metabolic disorders in children.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.
authors.forename: Chung Thong
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Márta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korbonits
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000502:physiology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin