[Plasma insulin-like growth factor I in severely handicapped children: usefulness of insulin-like growth factor I in nutritional assessment and dynamics of growth hormone secretion].
Plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) was measured in 23 severely handicapped children and compared with that in age-matched controls. Our 23 patients were poorly nourished and remarkably retarded in growth. Serum levels of total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), retinol binding protein and prealbumin in patients were lower than in controls. IGF-I levels in our patients (0.94 +/- 0.72 U/ml) were very low in comparison with those in controls (1.82 +/- 0.72) (p less than 0.01). But urine growth hormones were elevated in most our patients (61.4 +/- 51.7 pg/mg.Cr) (p less than 0.005). When we divided 23 patients into two groups, the low and normal IGF-I group, the low IGF-I group was shorter than the normal IGF-I group. TP and Alb levels were also low. Then we gave 10 patients supplementary protein (0.2-0.7 g/kg/day) for 10-20 days. TP and Alb levels rose in eight of ten patients; TP (g/dl) from 6.5 +/- 0.3 to 7.2 +/- 0.6 (p less than 0.005) and Alb (g/dl) from 4.0 +/- 0.2 to 4.4 +/- 0.3 (p less than 0.01). IGF-I levels (U/ml) rose in nine of ten; from 0.42 +/- 0.33 to 0.68 +/- 0.53 (p less than 0.005). We conclude that IGF-I is a sensitive marker of malnutrition and the nutritional therapy. And high levels of urine growth hormone suggest a normal growth hormone secretion in pituitary glands in most of our severely handicapped children.
Maegaki
Y
Y
Department of Pediatrics, Nishitottori National Hospital, Tottori.
Kimura
M
M
Yoshino
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment
D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone