title: Ghrelin and obestatin plasma levels and ghrelin/obestatin prepropeptide gene polymorphisms in small for gestational age infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate plasma ghrelin and obestatin levels, and ghrelin/obestatin prepropeptide gene polymorphisms, in sequentially enrolled small for gestational age (SGA) infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neonates were sequentially enrolled into this study and were then subdivided into different groups, according to different study aims and availability of study materials. Consequently, plasma ghrelin and obestatin levels were measured in term SGA, term appropriate for gestational age (AGA), term large for gestational age (LGA), preterm SGA and preterm AGA neonates. Levels of both peptides were also measured in AGA infants of different gestational ages, and in term AGA neonates at different days following birth. Three ghrelin/obestatin prepropeptide gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), Arg51Gln, Leu72Met, and Gln90Leu, were measured in neonates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study involved a total cohort of 581 neonates. Out of 150 neonates (30 term AGA, 30 term SGA, 30 term LGA, 30 preterm AGA, and 30 preterm SGA), plasma obestatin levels were significantly higher in term SGA versus term LGA neonates (0.21 ± 0.02 ng/ml versus 0.17 ± 0.01 ng/ml, respectively). Out of a wider cohort, there were no significant differences in genotypes and allele frequencies of Arg51Gln, Leu72Met, and Gln90Leu SNPs between term SGA and AGA neonates, or between preterm SGA and AGA neonates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ghrelin/obestatin prepropeptide polymorphisms were not found to be associated with SGA status in neonates; however, ghrelin and obestatin levels may be involved in growth and development. Further studies are required to understand the relationship between ghrelin, obestatin and prenatal development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shulian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shanghai Minhang District Central Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Guanpeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jinping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China chen6010@163.com.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005865:Gestational Age; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; C505799:obestatin, human
keywords: Ghrelin; ghrelin/obestatin prepropeptide; obestatin; preproghrelin; small for gestational age (SGA) infants