title: High ghrelin levels in post-treatment euthyroid patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis: a case-control preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a chronic inflammatory condition often associated with changes in appetite and body composition. Ghrelin is an orexigenic peptide involved in the regulation of appetite and food intake. A possible role of ghrelin in mediating inflammation has been suggested. A few contrasting published data are available on the relationship between thyroid status and circulating ghrelin in patients affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The aim of the present case-control study was to provide additional evidence on the relationship between thyroid status and plasma ghrelin levels in post-treatment euthyroid female patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, compared to healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  25 women [age 46.6±10.6 years; Body Mass Index 26.3±3.8 kg/m²] affected by overt hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis were studied after thyroid hormones and body weight were already normalized for at least 2 months following L-thyroxine replacement. 25 healthy women (age 40.2±6.4 years; Body Mass Index 26.2±4.0 kg/m²) served as the control group. Blood levels of thyroid hormones, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, thyroglobulin antibodies and ghrelin were determined. Fat mass, fat-free mass and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Circulating ghrelin levels were significantly higher in patients vs. control subjects (p<0.001). No differences were found in metabolic parameters (body mass index, fat mass, fat-free mass, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides additional evidence of hyperghrelinemia status in post-treatment euthyroid patients affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Internal Medicine, Metabolic Diseases Outpatient Unit, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malandrino
authors.affiliation: Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano (MI), Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miceli
authors.affiliation: Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA; Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), NIH, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Center for Alcohol and Addiction -Studies, -Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, -Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leggio
authors.affiliation: Institute of Internal Medicine, Metabolic Diseases Outpatient Unit, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mingrone
authors.affiliation: Institute of Internal Medicine, Metabolic Diseases Outpatient Unit, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capristo
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects*; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D054439:Ghrelin; D013974:Thyroxine