Background Ghrelin is a potent hormone with central and peripheral action. This hormone plays an important role in the regulation of appetite, food intake, and energy balance. Studies have suggested that ghrelin is involved with eating disorders (ED), particularly bingeing and purging. Genetic variants have also been studied to explain changes in eating behavior. Methods We conducted a literature review; we searched PubMed, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), and LILACS databases using the keywords “eating disorder”, “ghrelin”, “polymorphism”, “anorexia nervosa”, “bulimia nervosa”, “binge eating disorder”, and their combinations. We found 319 articles. Thirty-nine articles met the inclusion criteria. Results High levels of ghrelin were found in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), especially in the purging subtype (AN-P). There was also a positive correlation between fasting ghrelin level and frequency of episodes of bingeing/purging in bulimia nervosa (BN) and the frequency of bingeing in periodic binge eating disorder (BED). Some polymorphisms were associated with AN and BN. Conclusion Changes in ghrelin levels and its polymorphism may be involved in the pathogenesis of EDs; however, further studies should be conducted to clarify the associations.

A prevalência do excesso de peso cresce no mundo todo. De origem multifatorial, a obesidade é uma doença complexa, com condição poligênica afetada por fatores ambientais. A perda de peso é a estratégia primária utilizada para prevenir e tratar a obesidade bem como suas comorbidades. Mudanças de peso durante a vida dependem da interação entre fatores ambientais, comportamentais e genéticos. Observa-se grande variação da perda de peso entre indivíduos em resposta a diferentes modelos de intervenções (comportamentais, restrições da ingesta cálorica, exercícios físicos, drogas antiobesidade ou cirurgias). Este artigo é uma revisão atual da literatura disponível, que busca abordar o papel dos polimorfismos dos genes candidatos à obesidade e sua influência na perda de peso. Apesar da interação do genótipo na perda de peso corporal, descrita nos estudos de gêmeos e familiares, é prematuro recomendar o uso da genotipagem para estratégias de perda de peso. É necessário ampliar as pesquisas sobre os efeitos sinérgicos dos polimorfismos genéticos com coorte maior e associá-los não somente à restrição alimentar mas também às outras intervenções que auxiliam na perda de peso.

Body weight excess has an increasingly high prevalence in the world. Obesity is a complex disease of multifactorial origin with a polygenic condition affected by environmental factors. Weight loss is a primary strategy to treat obesity and its morbidities. Weight changes through life depend on the interaction of environmental, behavioral and genetic factors. Interindividual variation of weight loss in response to different types of interventions (behavioral, caloric restriction, exercise, drug or surgery) has been observed. In this article, currently available data on the role of candidate gene polymorphisms in weight loss are reviewed. Even though control of weight loss by genotype was described in twin and family studies, it is premature to recommend use of genotyping in the design of therapeutic diets or drug treatment. Future studies will have to be large in order to assess the effects of multiple polymorphisms, and will have to control factors other than diet.