Increased Ghrelin Levels and Unchanged Adipocytokine Levels in Major Depressive Disorder

One of the hypotheses of the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) proposes that there is a relationship between adipocytokine and ghrelin levels and depression. Patients with major depression with a BMI ≤25 kg/m between the ages of 11 and 18 years (n = 30) were compared with a healthy control group (n = 30). Both groups were evaluated across a pretreatment period (MD-PT) and an improved period (MD-I). We measured serum leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and ghrelin levels and other parameters related to metabolic syndrome, such as glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment [HOMA]), triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TCHOL). Leptin, adiponectin, and resistin levels did not differ across groups; however, ghrelin levels were increased in the MD-I group compared with the control and MD-PT groups (p