title: Serum ghrelin levels partially recover with the recovery of appetite and food intake after total gastrectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ghrelin may lead to weight gain by appetite stimulation. This prospective study investigated the association between weight loss and the ghrelin levels in patients after gastrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three males and eight females were enrolled in the study. The average age was 66 years. Measurements of the serum ghrelin level and an appetite questionnaire were performed preoperatively and at one, three, six and 12 months postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preoperative serum total ghrelin level was 51.6 ± 31.9 (fmol/ml ± SD), and that at one, three, six and 12 months postoperatively was 16.9 ± 9.0, 21.2 ± 16.0, 28.0 ± 19.1 and 29.6 ± 20.6 (fmol/ml ± SD), respectively. The appetite score was 2.02 ± 1.09 points at 1 month, and increased significantly to 2.61 ± 1.00 by 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ghrelin levels were reduced after gastrectomy and did not recover by 12 months postoperatively. Further studies are needed to evaluate these results as the basis of a therapeutic trial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Yakushiji 3311-1, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hosoya
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dezaki
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yada
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hosoda
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kangawa
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Alan T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Lefor
authors.forename: Naohiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sata
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasuda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001066:Appetite / Q000235:genetics*; D004435:Eating / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D059035:Perioperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000235:genetics; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin