Authors: Frank Benedix Sabine Westphal Robert Patschke Claus Luley Hans Lippert Stephanie Wolff
Publish Date: 2010/04/14
Volume: 21, Issue: 8, Pages: 1265-1271
Abstract
When comparing serum and salivary levels under fasting conditions ghrelin levels were significantly higher in saliva for morbidly obese and healthy subjects A significant correlation between salivary and serum ghrelin could only be demonstrated for healthy subjects Fasting serum ghrelin concentrations in morbidly obese patients were significantly lower compared with healthy controls and cancer patients however the levels in whole saliva did not differ significantly between all groups There was only a highly significant inverse correlation between BMI and serum ghrelin Serum ghrelin correlated positively with age in morbidly obese There was no significant difference in serum and saliva ghrelin concentrations between men and women Following the standardized meal no significant suppression of serum ghrelin levels in morbidly obese was observed however salivary ghrelin concentrations were significantly decreasedThe results of the present study support the hypothesis that there is an autonomous production of ghrelin in the salivary glands Further research should focus on factors involved in the regulation of salivary ghrelin Until the mechanism of regulation is fully understood the testing of ghrelin levels in saliva is too limited to recommend a switch from serum testing
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