ICEECE2012 Poster Presentations Obesity (114 abstracts)
Changes of peripheral α-melanocortin stimulating hormone (α-MSH) in childhood craniopharyngioma patients in comparison with other forms of childhood obesity
H. Müller 1 , P. Enriori 2 , U. Gebhardt 1 , A. Hinney 3 , J. Hebebrandt 3 , T. Reinehr 4 , M. Cowley 5 & C. Roth 6
1Klinikum Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany; 2Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA; 3University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; 4University Witten / Herdecke, Datteln, Germany; 5Monash University Clayton, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; 6University Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Objective: Relationships of blood circulating melanocortins to childhood obesity are not well established. We evaluated serum α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) in lean children and different study groups of childhood obesity.
Methods: We examined serum α-MSH in 52 otherwise healthy children with childhood obesity (Ob, mean age 11 years, 32 girls / 20 boys), 27 normal-weight children of same age, 7 additional obese patients with reduced melanocortin-4 receptor function (MC4Rmut), and 22 patients with craniopharyngioma (CP). Fasting serum α-MSH and leptin were measured by RIA. Serum α-MSH was also evaluated one hour after 500 kcal liquid meal (CP and Ob) and at the end of 1 year lifestyle intervention in 24 Ob patients.
Results: α-MSH levels were similar in obese vs. lean children but significantly lower in CP (P<0.001) and significantly higher (P<0.05) in MC4Rmut patients compared to Ob. 1 h after liquid meal, α-MSH increased in patients with SO but not with CP. After one year, α-MSH levels increased significantly in the successful weight reduction Ob subgroup despite unchanged cortisol levels. α-MSH changes correlated to weight status changes (r=0.67; P=0.0003) but not to changes of cortisol, insulin or insulin resistance index HOMA.
Conclusions: Persistently low α-MSH levels in CP patients are suspected to be due to pituitary or hypothalamic damage. High peripheral levels in MC4Rmut carriers indicate up-regulation of α-MSH. Changes of weight status are associated with changes of peripheral α-MSH. Synthetic α-MSH analogues might offer a promising therapeutic option for treatment of hypothalamic obesity in craniopharyngioma patients.
Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.
Funding: This work was supported, however funding details unavailable.
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Endocrine Abstracts
ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)
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