Serum Ghrelin in a Sample of Egyptian Epileptic Patients

Abstract

Ghrelin is a multifunctional hormone constituted of 28 amino acids, which is the endogenous ligand of the synthetic growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R) ligands. Ghrelin is expressed in different tissues including the central nervous system (CNS). In addition, circulating ghrelin can access different structures of CNS such as hippocampus and ventral tegmental area. Ghrelin has various neuroprotective properties, and it appears to be related to memory retention and formation. In Rolandic epilepsy, although many changes in the physiology of hormones in the neuroendocrine system of patients can occur, the causes of these changes have not been fully elucidated. There are also relations between seizure activity and stages of sleep, which has been shown to affect both endocrine function and sleep. The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum levels of ghrelin in a sample of Egyptian epileptic patients and to evaluate its possible correlations with clinical findings. A total of 60 patients (age: 6.5±1.9) currently receiving antiepileptic drug therapy for Rolandicepilepsy were studied. The control group consisted of 60 healthy volunteers (age: 6.6±2.1) matched for age and gender. In all participants, serum levels of ghrelin were measured using ELISA technique. In the Rolandic epilepsy patients, the mean serum ghrelin level was 175.8±49.1pg/ml, and this was significantly lower than the control group’s level of 445.7±151.4pg/ml (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the significant lower ghrelin serum level in patients with Rolandic epilepsy may support the hypothesis of ghrelin’s antiepilepticpotential and neuroprotective actions.