Background: Ghrelin is a pleiotropic hormone, involved in the control of growth and metabolism, whose circulating levels fluctuate in relation to food intake and body mass index. Ghrelin has been detected in the decidualized endometrium, as well as in human and rat placenta.
Methods: A total of 106 patients undergoing IVF procedures were prospectively recruited. On Days 16 and 23 after oocyte retrieval, the patients were subjected to blood sampling after overnight fasting, for determination of serum ghrelin, hCGbeta and progesterone levels. In addition, ghrelin levels were assayed in these groups, 2 h after ingestion of a fixed-calorie meal.
Results: The subjects were divided according to whether they achieved an ongoing pregnancy. On Days 16 and 23 after oocyte retrieval, pre-prandial serum ghrelin levels were not statistically different, although a general trend toward a decrease in circulating ghrelin by Day 23 was detected in pregnant groups. Although in non-conceiving subjects, maternal ghrelin levels showed an expected 15% decline after meal ingestion, such a post-prandial decrease was not statistically significant in pregnant women, selectively on Day 16 after oocyte retrieval.
Conclusions: Maternal ghrelin levels at early gestational age do not appear to pose diagnostic (as marker) or prognostic value for pregnancy outcome in IVF procedures.