Serum kisspeptin and proopiomelanocortin in cystic fibrosis: a single study

Abstract

The determination of hormonal biomarkers is of increasing interest in many diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF). Hormones that have not been estimated and described so far in CF include kisspeptin (KISS) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC), which are involved in the regulation of many processes, including appetite and fertility. Therefore, the aim of our study was to estimate the level of KISS and POMC in sera from CF patients and to determine the correlation between these hormones and clinical parameters. For this purpose, we estimated the levels of KISS and POMC in 38 CF patients and 16 healthy participants with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found significantly reduced levels of KISS and POMC in people with CF compared to healthy subjects (1.76 ± 0.46 vs. 2.27 ± 0.56 ng/mL, p < 0.05 and 6.25 ± 4.36 vs. 14.74 ± 6.24 ng/mL, p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, the level of both hormones was negatively correlated with age. The hormones studied did not correlate with the results of spirometry and each other. Thus, decreased KISS and POMC levels may be associated with lower body weight and delayed puberty in patients with CF.

Figure 1

Fasting levels of KISS in CF patients and healthy individuals, differences between means were analysed using Mann–Whitney U test.

Figure 2

Fasting levels of POMC in CF patients and healthy individuals, differences between means were analysed using Mann–Whitney U test.

Figure 3

KISS levels in people with CF and healthy controls by sex, differences between means were analysed using Kruskal–Wallis test.

Figure 4

POMC levels in people with CF and healthy controls by sex, differences between means were analysed using Kruskal–Wallis test.