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Ghrelin levels in children with congenital heart disease

Manal E Kandil1, Amany Elwan, Yasser Hussein

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt. manalkandil2001@yahoo.com

Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
|March 6, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Ghrelin levels are elevated in children with congenital heart disease (CHD), correlating with lower BMI and potential malnutrition. This suggests ghrelin may play a compensatory role in metabolic regulation for these patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Cardiology
  • Metabolic Research

Background:

  • Congenital heart disease (CHD) often leads to growth retardation and malnutrition in children.
  • Ghrelin, a growth hormone-releasing peptide, influences energy balance, appetite, and adiposity.
  • Understanding ghrelin's role in pediatric CHD is crucial for addressing associated growth issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate circulating ghrelin levels in Egyptian children with congenital cyanotic and acyanotic heart disease.
  • To examine the relationship between ghrelin levels and anthropometric measurements in these children.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 40 children with CHD (18 cyanotic, 22 acyanotic) and 18 healthy controls.
  • Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, BMI) were recorded.
  • Serum ghrelin levels were quantified using the ELISA technique.

Main Results:

  • Children with CHD exhibited significantly lower weight, height, and BMI compared to controls (p < 0.0001).
  • Serum ghrelin levels were significantly elevated in children with CHD versus controls (p < 0.0001).
  • A significant negative correlation was observed between ghrelin levels and BMI across all groups.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated ghrelin levels in children with CHD are associated with decreased BMI.
  • Increased ghrelin may indicate malnutrition and growth retardation in pediatric CHD.
  • Ghrelin might function as a compensatory mechanism for metabolic balance in children with CHD.
Abstract

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