title: Fasting plasma ghrelin levels are reduced, but not suppressed during OGTT in obese African American adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our study aimed to evaluate total plasma ghrelin (TGh) concentration and its correlation with leptin and insulin in obese African American (AA) adolescents with a family history of type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Insulin, leptin, and TGh were measured for 15 non-obese controls in fasted state and 19 obese AA adolescents on samples collected during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) using radioimmunoassay kits. The hormonal concentrations were compared at fasting levels between obese and non-obese AA adolescents. Insulin, leptin, and TGh concentrations were also compared during OGTT in the obese group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fasting TGh was significantly lower in obese AA adolescents compared to non-obese controls, while fasting leptin and insulin were significantly higher in obese AA adolescents compared to non-obese controls. During OGTT, for the obese group, TGh increased significantly and plasma leptin decreased significantly. A significant negative correlation was found between TGh and leptin at 30 and 120 min, but at no other time points (0, 60, and 90 min). A significant positive correlation was found between TGh and insulin at 30 min during OGTT, but no other time points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TGh was lower in obese AA adolescents with a family history of type 2 diabetes and a significant correlation occurred between TGh and leptin and TGh and insulin during OGGT at specific time points in our obese group. These findings indicate that insulin resistant obese AA adolescents have impaired ghrelin suppression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine of Howard University, Washington, DC 20060, USA.
authors.forename: Maurice B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Fluitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Human Genetics and Molecular Endocrinology Laboratory, Howard University, Washington, DC 20060, USA.
authors.forename: Kanwal K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Gambhir
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Treatment Center, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC 20060, USA.
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nunlee-Bland
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Treatment Center, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC 20060, USA.
authors.forename: Wolali
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Odonkor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin