Circulating ghrelin concentrations in the polycystic ovary syndrome

Ghrelin is a novel gastric peptide which has orexigenic and adipogenic properties. Circulating ghrelin concentrations are influenced by nutritional status and, probably, regulate food intake and body weight. Obesity is a common feature in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). To investigate the relationship of circulating ghrelin concentrations to the hormonal and metabolic features of PCOS women, plasma ghrelin and several hormone concentrations were evaluated in thirty-three women with PCOS and in thirty-two healthy women matched for age and body mass index (BMI). Plasma ghrelin concentrations were similar between the PCOS (179 +/- 27, pmol/l +/- SEM) and the control (181 +/- 24, pmol/l +/- SEM) groups. In both groups, there was a significant (P < 0.001) inverse correlation between fasting ghrelin concentrations and BMI (PCOS: r = -0.45; Controls: r = -0.59). Multivariate regression analysis did not demonstrate any correlation (P = NS) between fasting ghrelin concentrations and the other hormone levels in the PCOS patients. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that in women with PCOS plasma ghrelin concentrations are not different from those of weight matched controls and are inversely correlated with BMI. There is no relationship between circulating ghrelin and the abnormal hormonal pattern of the PCOS syndrome.