Endocrine Abstracts

Background

Central kisspeptin action is well known in reproductive regulation; however, its peripheral action is not well understood. Most studies reveal that kisspeptin signaling influences energy and metabolic status.

Objective

To compare serum kisspeptin levels 1) between adult patients with PWS, obese subjects matched for age, sex and BMI and healthy subjects; 2) in adult patients with PWS before and after treatment GH.

Methods

Twenty seven GH-deficient adult patients with PWS (15 women, 30 ± 9.4 years), 27 obese subjects and 22 healthy subjects were studied. We determined anthropometric, glucose homeostasis parameters, body composition by DEXA and serum kisspeptin levels in all subjects at baseline and after 12 m of GH treatment in the PWS group.

Results

At baseline, there were no differences in serum kisspeptin levels between groups, although healthy group showed the lowest levels (PWS: 141.7 ± 21.0 pg/ml; obese: 141.5 ± 31.7 pg/ml; healthy: 127.7 ± 27.8 pg/ml, P = 0.136). Kisspeptin levels correlated with body fat mass (r = 0.373, P = 0.008). In the PWS group, after one year of GH therapy, lean body mass increased in 2.1% (P = 0.03), total fat mass decreased in 1.6% (P = 0.005) and serum kisspeptin dropped significantly (P = 0.027) to levels similar to healthy subjects (129.6 ± 29.8 pg/ml, P = 0.816).

Conclusions

In GH-deficient adults with PWS, one year of GH therapy effectively improves body composition and restores serum kisspeptin to normal levels. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the physiological mechanism of the relationship between changes in kisspeptin and body composition.