Ghrelin, growth hormone and insulin-like growth Factor-I levels in people with protein C deficiency

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to examine if people with protein C deficiency, which is a natural anticoagulant and also an endogenous acyl ghrelin peptidase, have elevated circulating levels of acyl ghrelin. The clinical trial was conducted in a university hospital setting. People with protein C deficiency were identified and invited to participate by a specialized coagulation outpatient clinic. People with protein C deficiency were examined and compared to age, sex, and body mass index matched healthy controls with regards to acyl ghrelin, unacylated ghrelin, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth-factor I (IGF-I) in a cross-sectional case-control study. Systemic levels of acyl ghrelin, desacyl ghrelin, acyl-to-desacyl ghrelin ratio, GH and IGF-I were similar in people with protein C deficiency and healthy controls. Despite a significant reduction of protein C in people with protein C deficiency, there was no difference in acyl ghrelin or the secondary end points unacylated ghrelin, GH, or IGF-I in people with protein C deficiency.

Keywords:

• Protein C
• protein C deficiency
• Ghrelin
• Ghrelin des-n-octanoyl
• Insulin-like growth factor I

Ethics approval

The study was approved by the Regional Committee of Scientific Ethics, the Danish Data Protection Agency, and was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Author contributions

Anna Dons-Jensen, Sascha Siig Horup, Anne-Mette Hvas, Rakel Fuglsang recruited study participants. Anna Dons-Jensen, Sascha Siig Horup, and Rakel Fuglsang performed the clinical study procedures. The study conception and design were performed by Anne-Mette Hvas, Esben Thyssen Vestergaard, and Rakel Fuglsang Johansen. The literature search was performed by Esben Thyssen Vestergaard, and Rakel Fuglsang Johansen. Data analysis was performed by Esben Thyssen Vestergaard. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Anna Dons-Jensen, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Consent to participate

Informed written consent was obtained from all participants before enrollment.

Consent for publication

The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by Steno Partner Hospital Randers, Aase og Ejner Danielsens Fond, and Grosserer Foghts Fond.