title: Use of ghrelin in cachexia syndrome: a systematic review of clinical trials.
abstract: Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates weight gain and increases appetite. For these reasons, it has been used for treatment of cachexia syndrome.
  
  
  
  The aim of this systematic review was to examine the use of ghrelin in cachexia patients to better understand the most prevalent clinical outcomes, particularly since the type and dosage of hormone used and the route and duration of administration often varies.
  
  
  
  A search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, SciELO, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Clinical Trials.gov) was limited to original articles describing interventions in adult humans, with no limits for publication date or language.
  
  
  
  Articles were searched independently by 2 reviewers, from October 2013 to April 2015. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were conducted in adult patients with a diagnosis of cachexia and provided information on type of ghrelin or analogue used, route of administration and dose administered, duration of intervention, outcomes, and clinical trial study design.
  
  
  
  Data were extracted independently by 2 reviewers using a preconstructed spreadsheet. Initially, 573 references were identified. Seven articles describing 379 participants were selected for review.
  
  
  
  Ghrelin was found to have a predominantly positive effect on growth hormone plasma levels, weight gain, increases in lean mass, and reductions in loss of adipose tissue.
  
  
  
  Although the studies reviewed here report positive results, there is still little evidence available on the use of ghrelin to treat cachexia. Further research is required to determine conclusively whether the use of ghrelin in patients with cachexia is a viable therapy.
authors.affiliation: J.V. Mansson is with the Nutrition Course, Faculty of Medicine Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. G.C. Souza are with the Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. F.D. Alves is with UniRitter - the Centro Universitário Ritter dos Reis, Porto Alegre, Brazil. F.D. Alves and A. Biolo are with the Post-Graduate Program in Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. A. Biolo is with the Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. A. Biolo and G.C. Souza are with the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. G.C. Souza is with the Center for Studies on Food and Nutrition, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jéssica V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Mansson
authors.affiliation: J.V. Mansson is with the Nutrition Course, Faculty of Medicine Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. G.C. Souza are with the Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. F.D. Alves is with UniRitter - the Centro Universitário Ritter dos Reis, Porto Alegre, Brazil. F.D. Alves and A. Biolo are with the Post-Graduate Program in Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. A. Biolo is with the Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. A. Biolo and G.C. Souza are with the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. G.C. Souza is with the Center for Studies on Food and Nutrition, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: J.V. Mansson is with the Nutrition Course, Faculty of Medicine Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. G.C. Souza are with the Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. F.D. Alves is with UniRitter - the Centro Universitário Ritter dos Reis, Porto Alegre, Brazil. F.D. Alves and A. Biolo are with the Post-Graduate Program in Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. A. Biolo is with the Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. A. Biolo and G.C. Souza are with the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. G.C. Souza is with the Center for Studies on Food and Nutrition, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biolo
authors.affiliation: J.V. Mansson is with the Nutrition Course, Faculty of Medicine Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. G.C. Souza are with the Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. F.D. Alves is with UniRitter - the Centro Universitário Ritter dos Reis, Porto Alegre, Brazil. F.D. Alves and A. Biolo are with the Post-Graduate Program in Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. A. Biolo is with the Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. A. Biolo and G.C. Souza are with the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil. G.C. Souza is with the Center for Studies on Food and Nutrition, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. gabriela.souza@ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: Gabriela C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D001066:Appetite; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D002100:Cachexia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D016239:MEDLINE; D010919:Placebos; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D010919:Placebos; D019382:Human Growth Hormone
keywords: cachexia; ghrelin; systematic review; treatment