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Growth hormone and IGF-I in diabetic children with and without microalbuminuria

A Verrotti1, F Cieri, M T Petitti

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, University of Chieti, Italy.

Diabetes, Nutrition & Metabolism
|April 27, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Children with type 1 diabetes and microalbuminuria show elevated urinary growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and plasma IGF-I levels. These findings suggest a role for IGF-I in early diabetic kidney disease.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Nephrology
  • Metabolic Disorders

Background:

  • Diabetic nephropathy is a major complication of type 1 diabetes (T1DM).
  • Early detection of kidney damage, such as microalbuminuria, is crucial in pediatric T1DM patients.
  • Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are implicated in metabolic regulation and kidney function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between urinary GH, urinary IGF-I, and plasma IGF-I levels and the presence of incipient diabetic nephropathy in children with T1DM.
  • To compare these levels between microalbuminuric and normoalbuminuric pediatric T1DM patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • Studied fifty prepubertal T1DM patients (25 male, 25 female), divided into microalbuminuric (n=18) and normoalbuminuric (n=32) groups.
  • A control group of 20 healthy subjects, matched for age, sex, and pubertal stage, was included.
  • Measured urinary GH, urinary IGF-I, and plasma IGF-I levels in all participants.

Main Results:

  • Microalbuminuric T1DM patients exhibited significantly higher urinary GH, urinary IGF-I, and plasma IGF-I levels compared to normoalbuminuric T1DM patients and controls.
  • No significant differences were found in these markers between normoalbuminuric T1DM patients and controls.
  • Plasma IGF-I levels showed a positive correlation with glomerular filtration rate (GFR).

Conclusions:

  • Elevated urinary GH, urinary IGF-I, and plasma IGF-I levels are associated with microalbuminuria in pediatric T1DM.
  • These findings support a potential role for IGF-I in the early renal functional changes observed in diabetic nephropathy.
  • Monitoring these biomarkers may aid in the early detection and management of incipient diabetic nephropathy in children.

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