Related Experiment Videos
Acid-labile subunit (ALS) measurements in children
A Nimura1, N Katsumata, R Horikawa
1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Children's Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Endocrine Journal
|July 13, 2000
Summary
Serum acid-labile subunit (ALS) levels increase with age in children, peaking earlier in girls. Low ALS may indicate growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children, aiding diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Growth Hormone Axis
- Biochemical Markers
Background:
- Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) circulate in a ternary complex with IGFBP-3 and acid-labile subunit (ALS).
- Previous research suggests serum ALS levels exhibit age- and sex-dependent variations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate serum ALS levels in normal children and those with growth hormone deficiency (GHD).
- To determine the relationship between ALS, IGF-I, and IGFBP-3 levels.
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of ALS in childhood GHD.
Main Methods:
- Serum ALS levels were measured in 264 healthy children (5 days to 16 years) and 15 children with GHD.
- Age and sex were recorded for all participants.
- Correlations between ALS, IGF-I, and IGFBP-3 were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Serum ALS levels increased with age, peaking in mid-to-late puberty, approximately 2 years earlier in girls than boys.
- ALS levels showed significant positive correlations with IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels.
- 6 of 7 children with complete GHD (CGHD) had ALS levels below -2SD; 1 of 8 with partial GHD (PGHD) did.
Conclusions:
- Serum ALS levels are regulated by growth hormone (GH) in children.
- Measurement of serum ALS is a valuable tool for diagnosing complete GHD in pediatric patients.