title: NUCB2/nesfatin-1 Is Associated with Elevated Levels of Anxiety in Anorexia Nervosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  NUCB2/nesfatin-1 is an anorexigenic hormone with elevated levels in obese and decreased levels in anorexia nervosa (AN) patients. Moreover, a role in the regulation of stress and emotions was suggested by several rodent and preliminary human studies. Since anxiety and depression are common comorbidities in AN, we investigated the association of NUCB2/nesfatin-1 with anxiety, depression and perceived stress in AN.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed circulating NUCB2/nesfatin-1 levels in 64 female inpatients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (body mass index, BMI; mean±SD, 14.7±2.3 kg/m2). At the same time anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), stress (PSQ-20) and disordered eating (EDI-2) were measured psychometrically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No correlation was observed between NUCB2/nesfatin-1 and BMI (r = 0.06, p = 0.70). The study population was divided in patients with low anxiety (n = 32, GAD-7 scores, mean±SD, 7.5±3.3) and high anxiety (n = 32, 16.0±3.0, p<0.001). Patients with high anxiety scores displayed 65% higher NUCB2/nesfatin-1 levels (p = 0.04). This was reflected by a positive correlation of GAD-7 and NUCB2/nesfatin-1-levels (r = 0.32, p = 0.04). Scores of PSQ-20 (73.3±14.3 vs. 48.6±17.2) and PHQ-9 (18.8±5.0 vs. 10.3±5.1) were higher in the high anxiety group (p<0.001) but did not correlate with NUCB2/nesfatin-1 (p>0.05). EDI-2 total score was also higher in the high anxiety group (52.3±14.1 vs. 40.2±16.0, p = 0.02), while no correlations of EDI-2-scores with plasma NUCB2/nesfatin-1 were observed (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating NUCB2/nesfatin-1 levels correlated positively with perceived anxiety, whereas no association with BMI or eating disorder symptoms was observed. NUCB2/nesfatin-1 might be primarily involved in the modulation of anxiety and subsequently in the regulation of eating habits and body weight in AN.
authors.affiliation: Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Division for General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine; Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.affiliation: Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Division for General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine; Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahnis
authors.affiliation: Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Division for General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine; Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Charité Center for Internal Medicine with Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Division for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Elbelt
authors.affiliation: Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Division for General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine; Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Division for General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine; Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Burghard F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Klapp
authors.affiliation: Charité Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Division for General Internal and Psychosomatic Medicine; Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stengel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D000080866:Nucleobindins; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C000630650:NUCB2 protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000080866:Nucleobindins