title: Serum growth hormone-binding proteins in the human fetus and infant.
abstract: Growth hormone-binding protein (GH-BP) levels were studied in cord serum of 69 human infants born after 24 to 41 wk of gestation and in serum of 14 infants aged 1 to 3 mo. GH-BP levels were measured by HPLC-gel filtration of serum incubated overnight with 125I-hGH. The radioactive elution profile revealed two small 125I-hGH peaks of high molecular weight and a large peak, corresponding to monomeric 125I-hGH. The first peak of high molecular weight was variable, showed some of the characteristics (high molecular weight, displaceability by a large excess of unlabeled hGH) of the described low affinity, high capacity GH-BP, and did not correlate with gestational age or birth weight (peak I-BP). The second peak was identified as 125I-hGH bound to the high affinity, low capacity GH-BP (peak II-BP). Mean +/- SD specific binding of 125I-hGH to this peak was significantly (p less than 0.0001) different between preterm infants (3.1 +/- 1.1%; n = 51), term infants at birth (4.2 +/ 1.1%; n = 18), and 1- to 3-mo-old infants (8.5 +/- 1.6%; n = 14). To evaluate the effect of intrauterine nutritional state, the ponderal index (weight/lengths) was calculated. Peak II-BP levels were lower (p less than 0.05) in infants with the ponderal index less than 2.35 (2.8 +/- 1.0%; n = 20) than in those with the ponderal index between 2.35 and 2.65 (3.4 +/- 1.2%; n = 29) or greater than 2.65 (3.8 +/- 1.2%; n = 20).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Zegher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vanderschueren-Lodeweyckx
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005865:Gestational Age; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009752:Nutritional Status
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D013006:Growth Hormone; C051815:somatotropin-binding protein