title: Does plasma IGF-BP3 measurement contribute to the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency in children?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To audit the contribution of plasma IGF-PB3 measurement to the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case study including boys and girls aged 0 to 18 years who attended our paediatric endocrinology clinic for short stature and/or post-irradiation follow-up, and had at least one GH provocative testing. Children with hypothyroidism, Laron or Kowarski syndromes, severe malnutrition, chronic renal failure and liver failure were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-eight children were enrolled and grouped as GHD [+] (19 cases) and GDH [-] (39 cases). IGF-I and IGF-BP3 assay was carried out in 88% and 62% cases respectively, both groups were comparable for age, sex, BMI, target height, pubertal stage and bone age. There was a significant difference in peak GH between GDH [-] and GHD [+] groups (41.8 mUI/L ± 21.7 versus 11.5 ± 5.9 mUI/L, P<0.00001, respectively). No difference was found between groups with regards to IGF-I Z-scores and IGF-BP3 Z-scores. There was, however, a positive correlation between IGF-I Z-scores and IGF-BP3 Z-scores (r=0.50; P<0.0016). IGF-BP3 measurement could not differentiate between GHD [+] and GHD [-] groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measurement of plasma IGF-BP3 level contributes poorly to the diagnosis of GHD. We do not recommend it in routine use.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Endocrinology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Poitiers University Teaching Hospital, France. k.kayemba-kays@chu-poitiers.fr
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kayemba-Kay's
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hindmarsh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burguet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ingrand
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hankard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004393:Dwarfism, Pituitary / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency*; 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 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I