The majority of in vivo studies showed a null or inverse association of ghrelin with risk and progression of most cancers , suggesting that ghrelin/ghrelin-receptor agonist treatment may have a favorable safety profile to use for cancer cachexia .
Ghrelin is a hormone with multiple physiologic functions , including promotion of growth hormone release , stimulation of appetite and regulation of energy homeostasis .
Treatment with ghrelin/ghrelin-receptor agonists is a prospect i ve therapy for disease-related cachexia and malnutrition .
In vitro studies have shown high expression of ghrelin in cancer tissue , although its role including its impact in cancer risk and progression has not been established .
Appetite-regulating hormone changes in patients with craniopharyngioma.
Patients with craniopharyngioma ( CP ) , an embryological tumor located in the hypothalamic and /or pituitary region , often suffer from uncontrolled eating and severe obesity . We aim ed to compare peripherally secreted hormones involved in controlling food intake in normal weight and obese children and adolescents with CP vs. controls .  Plasma insulin , glucose , total ghrelin , and peptide-YY ( PYY ) levels were assessed under fasting conditions as well as 60 min after liquid mixed meal in four groups : Normal weight ( n = 12 ) and obese ( n = 15 ) CP patients , and 12 normal weight and 15 obese otherwise healthy BMI - , gender- and age-matched controls .  Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance ( HOMA(IR ) ) , as well as quantitative insulin sensitivity check index ( QUICKI ) were calculated . Obese CP subjects had significantly higher HOMA(IR ) , higher baseline and postmeal insulin but lower ghrelin levels , weaker postmeal changes for PYY , and lower QUICKI compared to obese controls . QUICKI data from all CP patients correlated positively with ghrelin and PYY % postmeal changes ( ghrelin : r = 0.38 , P = 0.023 ; PYY r = 0.40 , P = 0.017 ) and negatively with st and ard deviation score- BMI ( SDS- BMI : r = -0.49 , P = 0.002 ) . Tumor growth of 87 % obese and 58 % of normal weight CP patients affected the hypothalamic area which was associated with higher SDS- BMI and weaker % postmeal ghrelin changes ( P = 0.014 ) compared to CP patients without hypothalamic tumor involvement . Blunted postmeal ghrelin and PYY responses in obese CP subjects are likely due to their higher degree of insulin resistance and lower insulin sensitivity compared to matched obese controls . Thus , insulin resistance in CP patients seems to affect eating behavior by affecting meal responses of gut peptides
The majority of in vivo studies showed a null or inverse association of ghrelin with risk and progression of most cancers , suggesting that ghrelin/ghrelin-receptor agonist treatment may have a favorable safety profile to use for cancer cachexia .
Ghrelin is a hormone with multiple physiologic functions , including promotion of growth hormone release , stimulation of appetite and regulation of energy homeostasis .
Treatment with ghrelin/ghrelin-receptor agonists is a prospect i ve therapy for disease-related cachexia and malnutrition .
In vitro studies have shown high expression of ghrelin in cancer tissue , although its role including its impact in cancer risk and progression has not been established .