Internal Medicine Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2011 Oct;35(10):638-43. doi: 10.1016/j.clinre.2011.07.002. Epub 2011 Aug 27.
Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) all over the world, with an estimated 8-10 million among a population of 68 million having been exposed to the virus and 5-7 million active infections (Frank et al., 2000). It is considered the most common aetiology of chronic liver disease (CLD) in Egypt, where prevalence of antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) is 10-fold greater than in the United States and Europe (Goldstone et al., 2002; Strickland et al., 2002). We have studied the role of plasma ghrelin, an orexigenic hormone that was found to correlate with malnourishment in CLD depending on Child classification. Sixty patients were divided in three groups according to Child classification and were compared to normal healthy controls (20 subjects). There was a highly significant correlation of plasma ghrelin and body mass index (BMI), mid arm circumference (MAC), waist circumference (WC) and tricuspid skin fold thickness (TSF). Also plasma ghrelin was specific and sensitive by the ROC curve analysis to BMI, which would indicate a new marker for malnourishment and possibility of a novel therapeutic approach.
埃及是全世界丙型肝炎病毒 (HCV) 流行率最高的国家，估计在 6800 万人口中，有 800 万至 1000 万人接触过该病毒，有 500 万至 700 万人患有活动性感染（Frank 等人，2000 年）。它被认为是埃及慢性肝病 (CLD) 的最常见病因，那里 HCV 抗体 (抗-HCV) 的流行率比美国和欧洲高 10 倍（Goldstone 等人，2002 年；Strickland 等人，2002 年）。我们研究了血浆 ghrelin 的作用，ghrelin 是一种食欲激素，根据 Child 分类，它与 CLD 中的营养不良有关。根据 Child 分类，将 60 名患者分为三组，并与正常健康对照（20 名受试者）进行比较。血浆 ghrelin 与体重指数 (BMI)、上臂中部周长 (MAC)、腰围 (WC) 和三尖瓣皮褶厚度 (TSF) 高度相关。ROC 曲线分析表明，血浆 ghrelin 对 BMI 具有特异性和敏感性，这表明它是营养不良的新标志物，也可能是一种新的治疗方法。
