title: IGF-I and IGFBP-3 before and after inpatient alcohol detoxification in alcohol-dependent subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is unclear whether alcohol detoxification has an effect on factors that are involved in growth, metabolic functions and cell proliferation. Alcohol abuse is associated with low IGF-I levels that tend to rise after alcohol withdrawal. There is a paucity of studies on the course of IGFBP-3 (the main binding protein for IGF-I) after alcohol detoxification.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively assessed IGF-I and IGFBP-3 changes at the time of admission and after 4 to 6 weeks of detoxification in an inpatient alcohol detoxification facility in 118 alcohol-dependent subjects given a regular hospital diet. No participants dropped out of the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Changes in IGF-I after alcohol detoxification showed a marked dimorphism in altered hepatic biochemistry upon admission, with a rise in those with normal liver enzymes upon admission (p = 0.016, Kruskall-Wallis) and a drop in those with elevated liver enzymes upon admission (p = 0.05); the latter was noted in subjects that had consumed alcohol close to the time of admission. Overall, however, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were within normal limits for most subjects both upon admission and after alcohol detoxification; no significant differences were detected among the examined parameters in men vs. women, and there were no significant correlations of IGF-I, IGFBP-3 or the IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio with BMI or age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regardless of hepatic enzymes' elevation, alcohol detoxification had overall slight effects on IGF-I and IGFBP-3.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Elena Venizelou Hospital, Athens, Greece. iiliasmd@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ilias
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paparrigopoulos
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tzavellas
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karaiskos
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kontoleon
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Liappas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C552964:IGFBP-3R protein, human; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I