Skeletal immaturity, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 serum concentrations in Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (skeletal immaturity, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in LCPD).
BACKGROUND
Skeletal immaturity is a major feature in Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD). Evaluation of growth hormone concentration, somatomedin activity, or insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentration revealed inconsistent results. Recently, IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) was found normal in relation to chronological age in LCPD patients.


METHODS
In this study IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured in the serum of 23 children with unilateral LCPD and in 23 sex and age matched controls.


METHODS
IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured with radioimmunoassays, using an IGF binding site-blocked assay for IGF-I. The results were related to the chronological age in all and to the bone age in 19 of the patients.


RESULTS
Bone age was retarded in 16 of 19 patients with a delay of one year or more in twelve children (mean 14.75, range 2-35 months). Chronological age and bone age related IGF-I and IGFBP-3 serum concentrations were predominantly within the normal ranges and did not differ significantly from the matched controls. IGF-I and IGFBP-3 serum levels showed a high correlation, which was similar in LCPD (r = 0.7; p < 0.0001) and in the control group (r = 0.8; p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data confirm that most children with LCPD are skeletally immature. However, IGF-I measured with IGF-II-blocked IGFBP binding sites, and IGFBP-3 serum concentrations analysed with respect to bone age show no evidence for a disturbance of the hypothalamo-pituitary-somatomedin axis in these children.
Grasemann
H
H
Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Universität-GHS Essen.
Nicolai
R D
RD
Hauffa
B P
BP
Reinhardt
W
W
Nicolai
H
H
Hövel
M
M
D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D007873:Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I