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Plasma acylated ghrelin levels are higher in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis
Author(s) -
Campana Davide,
Nori Francesca,
Pagotto Uberto,
De Iasio Rosaria,
MorselliLabate Antonio Maria,
Pasquali Renato,
Corinaldesi Roberto,
Tomassetti Paola
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2007.02959.x
Subject(s) - ghrelin , medicine , atrophic gastritis , atrophy , gastrin , endocrinology , gastritis , helicobacter pylori , stomach , endocrine system , gastric mucosa , gastroenterology , hormone , secretion
Summary Objectives Ghrelin is mainly produced by the endocrine cells of the gastric oxyntic mucosa. For this reason we decided to investigate the modification of the circulating levels not only of total but also of acylated ghrelin in a series of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis. Design Twenty‐five patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and 25 healthy subjects were studied. In all 50 subjects gastrin and total and acylated ghrelin levels were evaluated. All patients underwent endoscopy with multiple biopsies, and the possibility of Helicobacter pylori infection was investigated. Results Significantly higher acylated ghrelin levels (82·8 ± 61·3 vs. 35·1 ± 17·1 pmol/l), acylated/total ghrelin ratio (0·422 ± 0·202 vs. 0·152 ± 0·085) and gastrin levels (1071 ± 816 vs. 66 ± 22 ng/l) were observed in the 25 patients with chronic atrophy than in the healthy subjects. Otherwise, no significant relationships were found when total ghrelin was correlated with the presence of atrophy, or with gastrin levels. In the healthy subjects, but not in the patients, acylated and total ghrelin levels were significantly higher in female than in male patients. Conclusions The increase in acylated ghrelin levels and in the acylated/total ghrelin ratio in patients with atrophy of the body and fundus can be explained by hypothesizing an increase in the acylating process in the presence of gastric atrophy. It suggests that there may be a compensatory increase in plasma active ghrelin concentration in response to gastric atrophy, a condition which causes a loss of ghrelin‐producing cells and an increase in gastric pH.