Méndez-Sánchez N, Ponciano-Rodríguez G, Bermejo-Martínez L, Villa AR, Chávez-Tapia NC, Zamora-Valdés D, Pichardo-Bahena R, Barredo-Prieto B, Uribe-Ramos MH, Ramos MH, Baptista-González HA, Uribe M. Low serum levels of ghrelin are associated with gallstone disease. World J Gastroenterol 2006; 12(19): 3096-3100 [PMID: 16718795 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i19.3096]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Nahum Méndez-Sánchez, MD,PhD, Departments of Biomedical Research, Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, Medica Sur Clinic and Foundation, Puente de Piedra 150, Col. Toriello Guerra, Mexico City, Mexico. nmendez@medicasur.org.mx
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Rapid Communication
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World J Gastroenterol. May 21, 2006; 12(19): 3096-3100 Published online May 21, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i19.3096
Low serum levels of ghrelin are associated with gallstone disease
Nahum Méndez-Sánchez, Guadalupe Ponciano-Rodríguez, Luisa Bermejo-Martínez, Antonio R Villa, Norberto C Chávez-Tapia, Daniel Zamora-Valdés, Raúl Pichardo-Bahena, Blanca Barredo-Prieto, Martha H Uribe-Ramos, Martha H Ramos, Héctor A Baptista-González, Misael Uribe
Nahum Méndez-Sánchez, Norberto C Chávez-Tapia, Daniel Zamora-Valdés, Raúl Pichardo-Bahena, Blanca Barredo-Prieto, Martha H Uribe-Ramos, Martha H Ramos, Misael Uribe, Liver Unit, Biomedical Research Department, Medica Sur Clinic and Foundation, Mexico City, Mexico
Guadalupe Ponciano-Rodríguez, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
Luisa Bermejo-Martínez, Héctor A Baptista-González, Clinical Research Department, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
Antonio R Villa, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Mexico City, Mexico
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work
Supported by Medica Sur Clinic and Foundation
Correspondence to: Nahum Méndez-Sánchez, MD,PhD, Departments of Biomedical Research, Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, Medica Sur Clinic and Foundation, Puente de Piedra 150, Col. Toriello Guerra, Mexico City, Mexico. nmendez@medicasur.org.mx
Received: November 4, 2005 Revised: December 18, 2005 Accepted: December 22, 2005 Published online: May 21, 2006
Abstract
AIM: To explore the role of ghrelin in gallstone disease.
METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional study in 150 subjects, 38 with gallstones (cases) and 112 controls. We also did a real-time PCR-RT study in twenty gallbladder samples each. Body mass index (BMI), serum insulin, ghrelin, and serum lipids were measured. Logistic regression analyses (univariate and multivariate) were conducted to estimate the probability of gallstone disease associated with serum ghrelin concentrations.
RESULTS: Cases were statistically different from controls in gender distribution (P = 0.01), age (53 vs 44 yr, P = 0.002), BMI (28 vs 25; P = 0.004), and glucose (5.26 vs 4.98 mmol/L; P = 0.05). The prevalence of ghrelin serum levels above the third tercile was lower in subjects without metabolic syndrome (P < 0.05). In a multivariate model, we found a protective effect, when ghrelin values were higher than the median value (OR = 0.27, 95%CI 0.09-0.82, P = 0.02). Twenty (20%) gallbladder specimens expressed ghrelin mRNA.
CONCLUSION: Serum ghrelin concentrations are associated with a protective effect of GD.
