Serum ghrelin levels in inflammatory bowel disease with relation to disease activity and nutritional status

What Was Tested

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

Ghrelin possesses various biological activities -- it stimulates growth hormone (GH) release, plays a major role in energy metabolism, and is one of the hormones that affects body composition.

It also plays a role in modulating immune response and inflammatory processes.

Who Took Part

The study group was 34 patients.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

Serum levels of ghrelin and its relationship with disease activity and nutritional status were evaluated in 34 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 25 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), and 30 healthy controls.

Serum ghrelin levels, serum IGF-1 and GH levels, and markers of disease activity (sedimentation, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen) were measured in all subjects.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized study.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the Ghrelin group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Body composition and nutritional status was assessed by both direct (by anthropometry) and indirect (by bioimpedance) methods.

What Was Measured

The researchers also investigated any probable relationship between serum ghrelin level and nutritional status.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Biomarkers, Blood Sedimentation, Body Composition, C-Reactive Protein, Colitis, Ulcerative and Crohn Disease.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of Ghrelin in 34 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 publication is from 2008 (Digestive diseases and sciences), a journal based in United States.

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