Acylated- and unacylated ghrelin during an oral glucose tolerance test in humans at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background/Objectives The orexigenic peptide hormone ghrelin has been implicated in the pathophysiology of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus through its effects on nutrient homeostasis. Ghrelin is subject to a unique post-translational acyl modification regulating its biochemical activity. Subjects/Methods In this study we aimed to investigate the relation of acylated (AcG) as well as unacylated ghrelin (UnG) with body weight and insulin resistance in the fasting ( n = 545) and post-oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) state ( n = 245) in a metabolically well characterized cohort covering a broad range of BMI (17.95 kg/m²–76.25 kg/m²). Results Fasting AcG (median 94.2 pg/ml) and UnG (median 175.3 pg/ml) were negatively and the AcG/UnG ratio was positively correlated with BMI (all p