title: Insulin-like growth factors and their binding proteins in normal and abnormal human fetal growth.
abstract: There is now a well recognized series of findings which suggests that the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) may play an important role in both normal and abnormal human fetal growth: (1) IGFs are detectable in many fetal tissues from the first trimester onwards; (2) the levels of the IGFs in the fetal circulation increase during pregnancy, and at term the levels of IGF-I are directly related to birthweight; (3) in mice, disruption of the IGF gene leads to severe growth retardation; (4) in the first trimester the levels of IGFBP-1 are higher in the coelomic fluid than in amniotic fluid or maternal serum; (5) at 9-12 weeks there is a striking increase in IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-2 levels in amniotic fluid; (6) the major binding proteins in the human fetus are IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-2; (7) from as early as 16 weeks there is an inverse correlation between fetal levels of IGFBP-1 and birthweight; (8) in the mother, circulating levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-1 increase during pregnancy; (10) maternal levels of IGFBP-1 are elevated in severe pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation; (11) fetal levels of IGFBP-1 are elevated in cases of intrauterine growth retardation, especially those associated with specific evidence of reduced uteroplacental bloodflow; and (12) fetal levels of IGFBP-1 are elevated in labour, especially if there is evidence of fetal hypoxia. In conclusion, levels of IGFBP-1 appear to be a sensitive indicator of fetal nutrition, and of the short- or long-term response to reduced fetal nutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Physiology, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chard
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000378:metabolism; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000502:physiology*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D013002:Somatomedins