Santral Puberte Prekoks Tanısı İle İzlenen Kız Çocuklarında Serum Obestatin ve Ghrelin Düzeylerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

It has been observed in recent years that the age of onset of puberty has shifted earlier, particularly in girls. Although obesity is regarded as one of the factors contributing to this situation, the link between prepubertal precocious puberty and obesity has yet to be established. It is unknown whether the hormones ghrelin and obestatin, which provide information about the body's energy stores and have regulatory effects on gonadal functions, play a role in this relationship. The aim of this study is to shed light on the relationship between precocious puberty and obesity by determining serum obestatin and ghrelin levels in girls, followed up with the diagnosis of central puberty precox. For this purpose, thirty-four girls aged 5–10 years who were followed up with the diagnosis of central prepubertal precox in the Pediatric Endocrinology department of S.B.Ü. Gülhane Training and Research Hospital were included in the study. Thirty-four healthy girls of the same age group who had not yet reached puberty were chosen as the control group. Data related to the subjects' chronological age, duration of complaint, family history, anthropometric measurements at the time of diagnosis (height, weight), puberty (Tanner) stage, bone age, and hormone levels (FSH, LH, E2) were obtained retrospectively from the file records. Serum obestatin and ghrelin levels were measured by the ELISA in patients and control groups, and then the ghrelin/obestatin ratios were calculated. There was no difference in mean age between the patient and control groups (P>0.05). The body mass index was found to be high in the patient group, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). The serum obestatin level was found to be higher in the patient group compared to the control group (P=0.003). It was observed that the serum ghrelin level was higher in the patient group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). When the serum ghrelin/obestatin ratio was analyzed, it was determined that it was lower in the patient group compared to the control group (P=0.023). The results of our study reveal that a high obestatin level and a low ghrelin/obestatin ratio are associated with central precocious puberty. These findings indicate that ghrelin and obestatin levels, as well as their balance, may play a role in the physiopathology of precocious puberty by contributing to signals associated with food intake and energy stores during puberty.