Weight gain decreases elevated plasma ghrelin concentrations of patients with anorexia nervosa

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Ghrelin, published as a clinical trial.

Ghrelin is a new gastric hormone that has been identified as an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone (GH) secretagogue receptor subtype 1a (GHS-R1a).

The researchers hypothesized that impaired ghrelin secretion in anorexia nervosa may be involved in the pathogenesis of this eating disorder.

To examine this hypothesis and to further investigate the role for ghrelin in regulating energy homeostasis, the researchers analyzed circulating ghrelin levels in patients with anorexia nervosa and examined possible correlations with clinical parameters before and after weight gain.

Who Took Part

The study group was 36 patients.

PubMed indexes the participants as teenagers, adults and middle-aged adults, women only.

Plasma ghrelin levels were measured in overnight fasting plasma samples from 36 female patients with anorexia nervosa (age: 25.0+/-1.2 years, BMI: 15.2+/-0.2 kg/m(2)) before and after weight gain following psychotherapeutic treatment intervention in a psychosomatic institution.

How the Study Was Run

Plasma ghrelin levels were also measured in fasting plasma samples from 24 age-matched female controls (31+/-1.4 years, BMI: 22.9+/-0.45 kg/m(2)).

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Anorexia Nervosa, Body Mass Index, Ghrelin, Peptide Hormones, Peptides, Psychotherapy and Weight Gain.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a clinical trial of Ghrelin in 36 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 6 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2001 (European journal of endocrinology), a journal based in England.

More context: the Ghrelin compound page, all human trials.