Cytokine and Microbiome Changes in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa at Admission, Discharge, and One-Year Follow-Up.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe eating disorder that predominantly affects females and typically manifests during adolescence. There is increasing evidence that serum cytokine levels are altered in individuals with AN. Previous research has largely focused on adult patients, assuming a low-grade pro-inflammatory state.

Long-Term Dynamics of Serum α-MSH and α-MSH-Binding Immunoglobulins with a Link to Gut Microbiota Composition in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa.

Introduction: Immunoglobulins (Ig) reactive with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), an anorexigenic neuropeptide, are present in humans and were previously associated with eating disorders. In this longitudinal study involving patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), we determined whether α-MSH in serum is bound to IgG and analyzed long-term dynamics of both α-MSH peptide and α-MSH-reactive Ig in relation to changes in BMI and gut microbiota composition.

Methods: The study included 64 adolescents with a restrictive form of AN, whose serum samples were collected at hospital admission, discharge, and during a 1-year follow-up visit and 41 healthy controls, all females.

Longitudinal analysis of the gut microbiome in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa: microbiome-related factors associated with clinical outcome.

There is mounting evidence regarding the role of gut microbiota in anorexia nervosa (AN). Previous studies have reported that patients with AN show dysbiosis compared to healthy controls (HCs); however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear, and data on influencing factors and longitudinal course of microbiome changes are scarce. Here, we present longitudinal data of 57 adolescent inpatients diagnosed with AN at up to nine time points (including a 1-year follow-up examination) and compare these to up to six time points in 34 HCs.