Abstract
Rickets is a common metabolic bone disease in infants. The predominant cause of rickets is vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is required for bone formation. The role of ghrelin in bone metabolism is unclear, but it may have an indirect effect. There are also reports in the literature suggesting that ghrelin acts directly on osteoblasts as a positive regulator. To evaluate the relationship between ghrelin levels and the development of rickets. We evaluated the relationship between serum/ saliva ghrelin levels and rickets in a cohort of 10 patients aged 6-24 months with nutritional rickets and completely healthy 14 children. Plasma ghrelin levels were measured using a commercial radioimmunoassay kit. The saliva ghrelin measurements were performed using a Human-ghrelin- radioimmunoassay-sensitive kit. Ghrelin levels in blood and saliva were found significantly lower in the rickets group compared to the healthy subjects in this study. Findings of this study shows that there is a relationship between ghrelin and the development of rickets. Decreased ghrelin levels may have caused to poor infant appetite and impaired nutritional status. Furthermore the absence of ghrelin\'s calciotropic effects may have contributed to the development of rickets. Detailed studies with larger series are warranted to support these findings.
Highlights
Vitamin D plays a role in calcium homeostasis and in the development and maintenance of bone; it is required for the prevention of rickets, the optimization of peak bone mass, and the prevention of bone loss, and it may reduce the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures
The results of our study showed a negative correlation between ghrelin levels and rickets
A previous study suggested that ghrelin may have a significant role in regulating chondrocyte metabolism in the growth plate [15]
Summary
Vitamin D plays a role in calcium homeostasis and in the development and maintenance of bone; it is required for the prevention of rickets, the optimization of peak bone mass, and the prevention of bone loss, and it may reduce the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures. Ghrelin is a growth hormone secretagogue, and promotes bone formation [4]. It is produced in and secreted mainly from the stomach, and has a variety of regulatory functions both in the brain and peripheral tissues. Emerging evidence indicates that ghrelin stimulates appetite, promotes adipogenesis, decreases energy metabolism, improves cardiovascular function, and stimulates the release of prolactin and cortisol [5, 6]. The role of ghrelin in the development of rickets has not yet been investigated. There are no studies on ghrelin levels in patients with rickets. This study aims to investigate the relationship between plasma/saliva ghrelin levels and rickets
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