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Ghrelin in small-for-gestational age (SGA) newborn babies: a cross-sectional study
Francisco Méndez-Ramírez1, Gloria Barbosa-Sabanero, Gustavo Romero-Gutiérrez
1Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, México.
Insights
Small-for-gestational age (SGA) newborns show altered hormone levels, including lower IGF-1 and higher ghrelin. These hormonal changes suggest adaptive responses to diminished birth weight, potentially influencing long-term metabolic health.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neonatal Research
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Small-for-gestational age (SGA) newborns face potential long-term metabolic challenges.
- Hormones like Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGFs), IGF-Binding Proteins (IGFBPs), and ghrelin are implicated in fetal growth regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare desacyl-ghrelin, IGF-1, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-3 levels in SGA versus adequate-for-gestational age (AGA) children.
- Investigate hormonal profiles associated with SGA status.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional, comparative study design.
- Inclusion of 40 SGA and 40 AGA children.
- Blood samples collected one week post-birth, with hormonal assays performed using ELISA.
Main Results:
- SGA infants exhibited lower IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and leptin levels.
- SGA infants demonstrated higher ghrelin and IGFBP-1 levels.
- Birth weight correlated negatively with ghrelin and IGFBP-1, and positively with IGFBP-3; maternal ghrelin levels were inversely associated with IGFBP-3 and triglycerides.
Conclusions:
- Diminished birth weight in newborns triggers adaptive hormonal signals, involving IGF-1/IGFBP-3, ghrelin, and IGFBP-1.
- Ghrelin's role in adapting to under-nutrition, potentially promoting lipid accumulation, is supported by these findings.
Background:
Small-for-gestational newborn babies may have long-term metabolic consequences. Among the main hormones possibly involved in foetal growth regulation are the IGFs, IGFBPs and the recently described ghrelin.
Objective:
To examine the levels of desacyl-ghrelin, IGF-1, IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 in children Small-for-gestational age (SGA) and children adequate-for-gestational age (AGA).
Design:
This was a cross-sectional and comparative study.
Subjects:
We included 40 children SGA and 40 children AGA.
Measurements:
Blood sample was taken a week after birth and measuring hormonal levels were done by ELISA.
Results:
SGA babies had lower IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and leptin levels, but higher ghrelin and IGFBP-1 levels. Birth weight was associated independently with ghrelin and IGFBP-1 (negatively) and IGFBP-3 (positively). Ghrelin circulating levels were associated negative and independently with IGFBP-3 and triglycerides in the mother.
Conclusions:
We interpreted these findings to indicate that diminished body weight in newborns induce different adaptive signals, some of them mediated by IGF-1/IGFBP-3, ghrelin or by IGFBP-1. This regulation is congruent with the proposed role of ghrelin to adaptation to under-nutrition favouring lipid accumulation. CONCyTEG grant number 05-16-K117-028.