Evidence for distinct effects of GH and IGF-I in the metabolic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors which include central obesity, dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance and hypertension. These risk factors are common in patients with growth hormone (GH) deficiency, suggesting a role for the somatotropic axis in the development of metabolic syndrome.


METHODS
We used factor analysis to investigate the relationships linking serum levels of GH and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) to metabolic syndrome variables (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, blood pressure and waist circumference). We studied 359 men and 388 women from the Data from an Epidemiological Study on the Insulin Resistance syndrome (DESIR). Their age range was 30-64 years.


RESULTS
Three independent latent factors explained 61% of the total variance in women and four factors explained 73% in men. In both men and women, IGF-I showed a strong positive correlation with the lipid factor and a negative correlation with the obesity/glucose factor. In women, GH showed a strong negative correlation with the obesity/glucose factor but not the lipid factor. In men, GH was unrelated to the lipid and obesity/glucose factors. The blood pressure factor was not related to GH or IGF-I. In contrast with IGF-I, GH was significantly lower in women with metabolic syndrome (1575 +/- 449 pg/ml) than in the other women (2121 +/- 520 pg/ml, P = 0.002). No significant difference was observed in men for GH or IGF-I.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results support a link between the somatotropic axis and several features of the metabolic syndrome, and suggest distinct effects of GH and IGF-I on these parameters.
Maison
P
P
Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Université Paris XII, Créteil, France. patrick.maison@hmn.aphp.fr
Balkau
B
B
Souberbielle
J-C
JC
Cunin
P
P
Vol
S
S
Macquin-Mavier
I
I
Eschwège
E
E
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001823:Body Composition; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D001786:Blood Glucose; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone