Relationship between serum estradiol concentration and IGF-I, IGF-II and IGF-binding proteins in patients with premature ovarian failure on short-term estradiol therapy.
OBJECTIVE
Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) exert stimulatory effects on follicular growth and development, and early embryogenesis. In view of this, we studied the effect of short-term estradiol treatment, as used in preparing the uterus for embryo implantation, on the serum concentrations of IGFs and their binding proteins (IGFBP) in patients with premature ovarian failure (POF).


METHODS
Twenty-four patients with POF, enrolled in an assisted reproduction program, were treated with increasing doses of estradiol up to 8 mg daily for 6 weeks. Blood was sampled for measurement of serum estradiol, IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGFBP 1, 2 and 3 at various times during estradiol treatment.


RESULTS
There was no significant correlation between serum estradiol concentrations and the serum concentrations of IGF-I and IGF-II. As expected, IGF-I and IGF-II concentrations in serum correlated positively with the serum concentration of IGFBP-3, the major IGF-binding protein in serum.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that estradiol therapy as used to prepare the uterus for implantation has no significant effect on serum IGF-I and IGF-II concentrations, and therefore probably does not influence, via an IGF-mediated mechanism, the success of implantation and early embryonic development.
Department of Medicine and Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of California,Irvine, USA.
A N
AN
Elias
S C
SC
Stone
R
R
Tayyanipour
M R
MR
Pandian
F J
FJ
Rojas
G
G
Gwinup
D000328:Adult; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood* / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 / Q000097:blood; D018971:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2 / Q000097:blood; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis*; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000032:analysis*; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013997:Time Factors
D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D018971:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D004958:Estradiol; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II