Ghrelin is a peptide exhibiting strong orexigenic, adipogenic and somatotropic properties. About 80% of the peptide is produced in the stomach and it is an essential link of the brain-gut axis. Ghrelin through vagal fibres and circular system stimulates the hunger center in hypothalamus, controlling food uptake and body weight gain. This mechanism fails in eating disorders. The aim of the study was the analysis of total ghrelin levels in anorexia nervosa (AN) girls during cognitive-behaviorally treatment.
Material and methods: A group of 50 AN girls with the restrictive form ofAN (according to the DSM-IV, ICD-10 criteria) behaviorally treated and participating in psychotherapy. The mean BMI in anorectic group was 15.1 kg/m2 and mean ghrelin level 6562 pg/ml. The group of 20 healthy girls with mean BMI of 21.4 kg/m2 and mean ghrelin level 4856 pg/ml served as a control group. The mean age in study group was 17.5 and 18.5 in control girls. Statistical analysis of significance was carried out by the Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman's correlation and linear Person's correlation. To assess the dynamic change of parameters Anova-Friedman and Anova-Kruskal-Wallis tests were used. The p < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.
Results: Initial mean plasma ghrelin levels in AN girls was significantly higher than in control group. After 24 weeks of treatment the mean BMI increased to 17.5 kg/m2, ghrelin level decreased to the value of 3919 pg/ml.
Conclusion: In AN female the decreasing of total plasma ghrelin level is a result of changing pathological feeding behaviour.