Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 predicts survival from acute childhood leukemia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the three principal components of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system, IGF-1, IGF-2 and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), are associated with survival from childhood leukemia.


METHODS
116 children, 0--14 years old, with newly diagnosed and bone-marrow-biopsy-confirmed acute childhood leukemia between 1993 and 1996 were followed up until death or March 31, 1998. IGF-1, IGF-2 and IGFBP-3 were measured at diagnosis and clinical data, including presence of hepatosplenomegaly and number of white blood cells, were available.


RESULTS
After controlling for gender, age, indicators of clinical severity and the other measured components of the IGF system there was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) inverse association of IGFBP-3 with survival. An increment of one standard deviation in IGFBP-3 was associated with a 65% reduction of the death hazard among the children with leukemia. Neither IGF-1 nor IGF-2 was associated with survival in this data set.


CONCLUSIONS
The presented empirical evidence in conjunction with the fact that IGFBP-3 modulates IGF-1 and IGF-2 bioavailability and is likely to have proapoptotic effects makes this compound a plausible independent predictor of survival from childhood leukemia.
Petridou
E
E
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. epetrid@atlas.uoa.gr
Skalkidou
A
A
Dessypris
N
N
Moustaki
M
M
Mantzoros
C
C
Spanos
E
E
Trichopoulos
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality
D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II