An Investigation of Serum Ghrelin Concentration and its Relationship with Bone Mineral Density in Healthy Postmenopausal Women over 55 Years in Tabriz in 2013

Postmenopausal women are the main population who are at risk of osteoporosis. Ghrelin hormone is a 28-aminoacid peptide secreted in gastrointestinal tract, and primarily in stomach. Several effects are attributed to this hormone which its effects on increasing bone mineral density (BMD) have been taken more attention recently. The purpose of this study was to determine serum ghrelin concentration and its relationship with bone mineral density in healthy postmenopausal women over 55 years. Methods: This study was conducted in 2013 on 80 postmenopausal women over 55 years who referred to the Bone Densitometry Center of Sina Hospital in Tabriz (Iran). Variables such as age, height, weight, waist-to-hip ratio, menopausal status, experience of disease and medications were recorded. Then, the serum alkaline phosphatase by photometric method , serum ghrelin levels by ELISA , and the status of bone density by using Dual-energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in the second to fourth lumbar spine (L2, L4) and femoral neck (FN) were measured. For statistical analysis, Pearson correlation, logistic regression, post hoc test, and one way ANOVA were used. Results: Serum ghrelin levels showed a significant relationship only with the lumbar spine BMD (BMDLS) (r = 0.23, P = 0.04). Average levels of ghrelin in three age groups of 55-64, 65-74, 75-84 years showed a significant difference (P = 0.04). With increasing age, there was a significant increase in the lumbar spine BMD (P = 0.04). Logistic regression analysis showed a significant relationship between the variables waist-to-hip with femoral neck BMD (OR = -1.24) and statistically significant relationship between variable waist-to-hip with BMD of the lumbar spine (OR = -0.58) and ghrelin variable with BMD of the lumbar spine (OR = 0.018) were found. Conclusions: The findings of the study showed that serum ghrelin concentration in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis is reduced. In this study, a significant relationship between ghrelin and BMD in the lumbar spine was observed which was in consistent with some other similar studies.