Growth hormone, insulin like growth factor-1, and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 levels in the neonatal

Selim Kurtoğlu1, Meda Kondolot, Mümtaz M Mazicioğlu

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Erciyes University School of Medicine, Turkey.

Insights

Neonatal growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels change weekly. GH levels decrease, while IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels increase during the first four postnatal weeks.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal endocrinology
  • Pediatric growth disorders
  • Biochemical markers in newborns

Background:

  • Growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) are crucial for neonatal health assessments.
  • Current practice often evaluates these markers as single values during the neonatal period.
  • Understanding weekly changes is vital for accurate diagnosis of conditions like GH deficiency, intrauterine growth restriction, and hypoglycemia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the weekly changes in GH, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 levels throughout the neonatal period.
  • To establish normative weekly reference ranges for these key growth factors.
  • To inform more precise clinical interpretation of these biomarkers in neonates.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study included 102 appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) term neonates without interfering medical conditions.
  • Serum GH, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 levels were measured using immunoradiometric analysis (IRMA).
  • Weekly blood samples were collected and analyzed for the first four postnatal weeks.

Main Results:

  • Growth hormone (GH) levels showed a decreasing trend from week 1 to week 4 [median (1st-3rd quartile): 25.1 (18.5-37.4) to 14.4 (6.60-19.8) ng/mL].
  • Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels demonstrated an increasing trend [median (1st-3rd quartile): 41.7 (18.0-70.0) to 71.7 (44.3-137) ng/mL].
  • IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels also increased significantly [median (1st-3rd quartile): 1852 (1597-2451) to 3018 (2151-4189) ng/mL].

Conclusions:

  • GH, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 levels exhibit distinct weekly patterns in the neonatal period.
  • These biomarkers can be evaluated on a weekly basis for more accurate clinical assessment.
  • Establishing week-specific reference ranges can improve diagnostic precision for neonatal endocrine and growth disorders.
Abstract

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