Acylated Ghrelin, Growth Hormone and IGF-1 Levels in the Cord Blood of Small for Gestational Age Newborns

Background: ghrelin is a pleiotropic hormone that regulates feeding and energy balance and stimulates growth hormone release. ghrelin also exerts developmental and organizational effects during prenatal life. objectives: the aim of this study was to determine ghrelin levels in cord blood of small for gestational age (sga) infants and its association with gh (growth hormone) and igf-1 levels (insulin-like growth factor-1). methods: cord blood sample was obtained from 31 sga and 25 appropriate for gestational age (aga) infants. acylated ghrelin, gh, and igf-1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. results: no significant differences were observed in ghrelin and gh concentrations between sga and aga infants. however, igf-1 levels were significantly lower in sga infants. cord blood ghrelin was negatively correlated with the infants’ birth weight (r = -0.33, p = 0.013); on the other hand, igf-1 level was positively correlated with birth weight (r = 0.43, p = 0.002). conclusions: igf-1 has the most significant effect on intrauterine growth. acylated ghrelin is detectable in cord blood and correlated with birth weight, suggesting a role in intrauterine development, but its level is not affected by intrauterine growth retardation.