@article{3145548,
    title = "Decreased active, total and altered active to total ghrelin ratio in
normal weight women with the more severe form of polycystic ovary
syndrome",
    author = "Panidis, Dimitrios and Asteriadis, Chrisostomos and Georgopoulos, and Neoklis A. and Katsikis, Ilias and Zournatzi, Vassiliki and Karkanaki, and Artemis and Saltamavros, Alexandros D. and Decavalas, George and and Diamanti-Kandarakis, Evanthia",
    journal = "European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology",
    year = "2010",
    volume = "149",
    number = "2",
    pages = "170-174",
    publisher = "Elsevier",
    doi = "10.1016/j.ejogrb.2009.12.019",
    keywords = "Polycystic ovary syndrome; Hyperandrogenism; Total ghrelin; Active
ghrelin; Active to total ghrelin ratio",
    abstract = "Objective: To assess total, active and active to total serum ghrelin
ratio in normal weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and
in healthy ovulatory control women.Study design: The study included 50
normal weight women with PCOS with a mean age of 23.70 +/- 4.99 years
and 10 control women with a mean age of 30 +/- 5.80 years. The diagnosis
of PCOS was based on the presence of biochemical hyperandrogenemia,
chronic anovulation and polycystic ovarian morphology according to the
Rotterdam ESHRE/ASRM-sponsored PCOS Consensus Workshop Group. Serum
total and active ghrelin were measured by RIA, using commercially
available kits.
Results: A significantly lower serum active/total ghrelin ratio was
noted in the more severe form of PCOS with hyperandrogenemia, chronic
anovulation and polycystic ovarian morphology. Both total and active
serum ghrelin levels were negatively correlated to hirsutism score, to
plasma glucose levels and to QUICKI and HOMA-IR indices of Insulin
Resistance. A statistically significant difference was detected between
the more severe and the milder forms of PCOS, concerning serum levels of
total ghrelin (p = 0.017), active ghrelin (p = 0.007) and the
active/total ghrelin ratio (p = 0.026).
Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrate an altered
active to total ghrelin ratio, as well as a tendency towards lower both
total and active fasting serum ghrelin levels in normal weight PCOS,
more pronounced in the more severe forms of the syndrome. (C) 2009
Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved."
}