Relationship between insulin sensitivity and IGF-I sensitivity in low birth weight prepubertal children

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Rossana Román1, German Iñiguez, Teresa Salazar

  • 1Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Hormone Research
|June 13, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Low birth weight children with lower insulin sensitivity also show reduced insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) sensitivity. This suggests impaired responses to both insulin and IGF-I may coexist in some low birth weight individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Growth factors

Background:

  • Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin share similar biological pathways.
  • Reduced sensitivity to these hormones may impact growth and metabolism.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate potential coexisting decreased sensitivity to insulin and IGF-I in low birth weight (LBW) children.
  • To explore the relationship between insulin sensitivity and IGF-I sensitivity in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 48 prepubertal LBW children (mean age 7.6 years).
  • Assessed insulin sensitivity via oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
  • Evaluated IGF-I sensitivity by measuring nocturnal growth hormone (GH) response to recombinant human IGF-I/IGFBP-3 complex.

Main Results:

  • LBW children were stratified into quartiles based on insulin sensitivity.
  • Those in the lowest quartile of insulin sensitivity demonstrated significantly lower IGF-I sensitivity.
  • A greater reduction in GH AUC was observed in the least insulin-sensitive group compared to the most sensitive group.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced insulin sensitivity in LBW children is associated with diminished IGF-I sensitivity.
  • These findings suggest that impaired insulin and IGF-I signaling may occur concurrently in some prepubertal LBW children.
  • This highlights potential metabolic and growth challenges in this cohort.
Abstract

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