Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in prepubertal children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Knip M, Tapanainen P, Pekonen F, Blum WF. Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in prepubertal children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Eur J Endocrinol 1995:133:440–4. ISSN 0804–4643 To study the possible role of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) in the discrepancy between normal or only slightly retarded growth and substantially reduced concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in prepubertal children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), we measured the plasma concentrations of IGF-I, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 and free insulin in 24 prepubertal diabetic subjects and 12 control children. In addition, the growth hormone response to exercise was evaluated. The diabetic children had significantly decreased peripheral IGF-I levels (8.2 + 1.1 (sem) vs 16.7 + 2.5 nmol/l; p < 0.001), whereas the concentrations of free insulin were increased (217 + 14 vs 103 + 21 pmol/l; p < 0.001). The concentrations of IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 were of the same magnitude in both groups. The diabetic children had significantly increased levels of IGFBP-2 (465 + 13 vs 416 + 14 μg/l; p = 0.029), which were inversely related to the circulating IGF-I levels (r = −0.35; p = 0.034). The diabetic and control children had comparable growth hormone responses to exercise. Diabetic children with poor glucose control had even lower IGF-I levels than those with moderate metabolic control (6.0 + 0.8 vs 10.3 + 1.7 nmol/l; p = 0.037). No differences could be observed in the plasma concentrations of various IGFBPs between these two groups of diabetic subjects. The absence in prepubertal diabetic children of increased IGFBP-1 levels observed in adolescent and adult patients with IDDM may contribute to their maintained linear growth, despite definitely decreased IGF-I concentrations. The role of increased IGFBP-2 levels in prepubertal children with IDDM remains open, but the inverse relationship between IGF-I levels and IGFBP-2 concentrations suggests that IGF-I may be involved in the regulation of IGFBP-2. Mikael Knip, Department of Pediatrics, University of Oulu, FIN-90220 Oulu, Finland