Association of the Leu72Met polymorphism of the ghrelin gene and ghrelin level with type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity

The aim of the study is to resolve the debated association between ghrelin level and polymorphism of ghrelin gene (Leu72Met) with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The present study was conducted on 30 diabetic middle-aged patients with normal body mass index (BMI) and 40 age-matched non-diabetic participants (20 with normal BMI and 20 obese). All participants were subjected to full medical history and examination, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory investigations which include complete lipid profile, fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, fasting serum insulin and HOMA-IR was calculated, fasting plasma ghrelin level was determined using ELISA method, and the Leu72Met polymorphism of the ghrelin gene was screened using PCR-RFLP. The median level of fasting plasma ghrelin was higher in the diabetic group than those of the non-diabetic group (P = 0.157). However, lower median fasting plasma ghrelin level was reported in the obese group compared to those with normal BMI, yet not statistically significant (P = 0.289). In the present study, Leu72Met polymorphism was present in 13% of the diabetic subjects, 20% of the non-diabetic subjects with normal BMI, and in 30% of the obese non-diabetic participants. No statistically significant association was found between the ghrelin level and the Leu72Met polymorphism in preproghrelin gene with either obesity or type 2 diabetes mellitus.