Alterations in serum levels of insulin-like growth factors and insulin-like growth-factor-binding proteins in patients with colorectal cancer.
It has been reported that insulin-like growth factor (IGF) II is associated with human primary colorectal tumors and colon-carcinoma cell lines. Here, we examine alterations in circulating levels of IGFs and IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) in patients with colorectal carcinoma, and compare them to age- and nutrition-adjusted references. We report (i) an increase in serum IGF-II concentrations (about 2-fold), whereas IGF-I concentrations are regarded as normal when aging is taken into account; (ii) an apparent increase in serum IGFBP-3 levels when compared to those of healthy elderly subjects, IGFBP-3 only being detected in the 150-kDa IGFBP ternary complex as in normal serum; (iii) abnormally elevated serum IGFBP-2 levels taking into account the apparent concentrations of IGFBP-3. This simultaneous elevation of IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-2 in the serum of patients with colorectal tumors appears to be unique in that it reflects a break in the inverse relationship between the serum IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-2 levels that is observed in normal and in several physiopathological conditions. Moreover, it enables a distinction to be made between 76.5% (13/17) of patients with colorectal carcinoma and normal adults, age-related healthy aged and malnourished patients. We propose that the disturbed serum IGFBP profile observed in the patients with colorectal cancer may be a consequence of oversecretion of IGF-II by the tumor cells. The usefulness of IGFs and IGFBPs as potential colorectal tumor-associated metabolic markers should be further investigated.
el Atiq
F
F
Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France.
Garrouste
F
F
Remacle-Bonnet
M
M
Sastre
B
B
Pommier
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D018971:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018971:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II