['To investigate the relationship between the circulating level of active ghrelin and abdominal adiposity, serum levels of insulin or insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.', 'We measured the plasma levels of the active form of ghrelin in 18 obese and 18 nonobese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit. Body fat accumulation was measured by computed tomography (CT) and insulin resistance by the glucose infusion rate (GIR) during an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp study.', 'Plasma levels of ghrelin in obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were significantly decreased compared with nonobese patients. There were significant correlations between the plasma levels of ghrelin and BMI (r=-0.505, P<0.01), visceral (r=-0.444, P<0.01), subcutaneous (r=-0.506, P<0.01) and total (r=-0.534, P<0.01) fat area, serum levels of insulin (r=-0.513, P<0.01) or GIR (r=0.478, P<0.01) in type 2 diabetic patients. The plasma level of ghrelin was significantly associated with serum levels of insulin (F=8.468, P<0.05) or GIR (F=8.522, P<0.05) after adjustment for BMI in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.'] Is circulating levels of active ghrelin associated with abdominal adiposity , hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus?