Ghrelin and motilin concentration in colicky infants.

Aim: To evaluate serum ghrelin and motilin concentration in infants with infantile colic.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted on fasting blood venous samples obtained from 18 infants with infantile colic and 20 healthy infants to measure ghrelin (RIA test) and motilin (RIA test).

Results: Colicky infants showed higher ghrelin serum levels (2534.2 +/- 600.0 pg/ml; ln 7.8 +/- 0.2) than controls (2126.1 +/- 281.3 pg/ml; ln 7.6 +/- 0.1) (p = 0.011). Serum motilin concentration was significantly higher in colicky infants (94.6 +/- 23.2 pmol/l) than in controls (64.1 +/- 30.1 pmol/l) (p = 0.001). Motilin concentrations were higher in formula-fed colicky infants (104.5 +/- 20.4 pmol/l) than in breastfed ones (82.2 +/- 21.3 pmol/l) (p = 0.038).

Conclusion: Our finding shows that ghrelin and motilin concentrations are higher in infants with colic than in controls, supporting an organicistic aetiopathogenesis of this disorder. Furthermore, the role of ghrelin on gastrointestinal motility may open new doors to better understand the aetiology of infantile colic.