Objectives:
Opiorphin is a physiological inhibitor of
peptidases inactivating endogenous
opioids displaying strong
analgesic properties without undesirable side effects,
antidepressant properties or hormonal dependency. It might therefore play an important role in patients with painful diseases related to neuro-hormonal dysregulation of the nervous system, affecting saliva secretion and composition such as
anorexia nervosa (AN). The main objective aim of this study was to compare the level of
opiorphin in saliva of patients with AN to matched subjects free of
eating disorders.Methods: A case-control clinical trial was conducted in 68 AN patients and 43 healthy matched control subjects. Depression symptoms were assessed with the self-scored questionnaire Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and salivary samples were taken during the acute stage of AN (BMI <15 kg/m2) for measuring
opiorphin.
Opiorphin levels were measured with a quantitative assay using a commercial immunoenzymatic Elisa kit (cat no. EH1927, Wuchan, Hubei, China).Results: No statistically significant difference was found in salivary
opiorphin levels between the AN and control groups, (P = 0.499, Mann-Whitney U-test). Positive correlations to duration of the disease, BDI and bodyweight in AN patients were evidenced.Conclusions: Measurement of salivary
opiorphin levels cannot be used as a marker of AN but may allow new perspectives in monitoring AN in its early stages.