Cross-Sectional and Prospective Relationships of Fasting Plasma Ghrelin Concentrations with Anthropometric Measures in Pima Indian Children

Ghrelin, a recently discovered GH secretagogue with orexigenic effects, is proposed to be a regulator of energy balance. To test whether fasting plasma ghrelin concentrations predict future gain in body weight or adiposity, we measured weight, height, body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat (by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), and fasting plasma concentrations of ghrelin, insulin, and glucose in 10-yr-old Pima Indians (n = 40; 13 males and 27 females) and subsequent weight, height, and BMI 1.7 ± 0.6 yr later. At baseline, the fasting plasma ghrelin concentration was negatively associated with height (r = −0.52; P = 0.0006), weight, (r = −0.37; P = 0.02), percentage of body fat (r = −0.33, P = 0.04), and fasting plasma insulin concentration (r = −0.41; P = 0.01). In multiple regression models adjusting for gender and fasting plasma insulin, the fasting plasma ghrelin concentration was an independent determinant of height (β = −13.9; P = 0.02), but not weight or BMI. Prospectively, the baseline fasting plasma ghrelin concentration was not an independent determinant of the relative rate of increase in weight, height, or adiposity. In conclusion, the fasting plasma ghrelin concentration was lower in taller and fatter Pima Indian children, but did not independently predict baseline weight, adiposity, or future growth rates. These data do not support a direct relationship between the fasting plasma ghrelin concentration and subsequent relative changes in height or weight in growing children.