All issues > Volume 48(3); 2005

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2005;48(3):298-305. Published online March 15, 2005.

Evaluation of Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor(IGF)-I, Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein(IGFBP)-2 and IGFBP-3 Levels in Healthy Korean Children

Gi Hoon GH Yang¹, Hye Lim HL Jung¹, Deok Soo DS Kim¹, Jae Won JW Shim¹, Jung Yeon JY Shim¹, Moon Soo MS Park¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Hye Lim HL Jung ,Email: jungped@samsung.co.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: We performed this study to evaluate the mean serum levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, insulin-like growth factor binding protein(IGFBP)-2 and IGFBP-3 in healthy Korean children according to age and sex.
Methods
: Ninety two healthy children, consisting of 42 boys and 50 girls, were classified into five groups according to age : neonate; infancy; early childhood; late childhood; and adolescence. We measured serum levels of IGF-I, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and analysed the serum levels according to sex and age group.
Results
: For boys, the mean serum levels of IGF-I(ng/mL) in neonate, infancy, early childhood, late childhood and adolescence were 41.1?.6, 70.9?3.7, 103.5?7.2, 89.8?6.5 and 51.4?7.8, respectively. Those of IGFBP-2(ng/mL) were 8.2?.4, 5.8?.4, 9.3?.0, 9.5?.1 and 7.0?.5, respectively. Those of IGFBP-3(ng/mL) were 559.2?15.2, 1,333.3?92.5, 2,254.6?,513.8, 2,447.1?,464.2, 1,533.6?07.4, respectively. For girls, the mean serum levels of IGF-I(ng/mL) according to five age groups were 53.3?.5, 99.3?5.8, 69.6?1.1, 106.2?7.0 and 145.1?27.8, respectively. Those of IGFBP-2 (ng/mL) were 9.1?.4, 5.3?.9, 6.9?.0, 10.5?.0 and 7.9?.3, respectively. Those of IGFBP-3(ng/ mL) were 858.2?33.4, 1,834.8?51.3, 1,404.3?70.2, 2,203.5?99.4 and 2,029.3?,316.7, respectively. There were significant positive correlations observed between IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels(r=0.589, P= 0.000).
Conclusion
: IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels increased as children get older. The peak level of IGFBP-3 was observed in late childhood for both boys and girls, suggesting a current trend of children reaching peak growth velocity before adolescence. The IGFBP-2 level was higher in neonates compare to infancy, suggesting that IGFBP-2 is an important substance for fetal growth.

Keywords :Insulin-like growth factor-1 , Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 , Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3