Low Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Level in Obesity Nephropathy: A New Risk Factor?

IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) is a hormone involved in cell growth and other important processes. In the kidney, IGF-1 has a stimulating effect, increasing the blood flow and glomerular filtration rate. Although many experimental animal studies regarding the role of IGF-1 in the kidney have been conducted, few human studies are available in the literature. Obesity is a cause of renal failure, and several glomerular lesions associated with obesity have been described. However, no studies regarding the levels of IGF-1 in morbidly obese patients with renal injury associated with obesity have been conducted.

To determine the serum IGF-1 concentrations in morbidly obese patients with normal renal function but with different types of early obesity-related glomerular lesions and to evaluate the possible relationship between IGF-1 and the presence of renal lesions.

Eighty morbidly obese patients with renal biopsy, including 11 patients with no evidence of renal lesion, 17 patients with single glomerulomegaly, 21 patients with single podocyte hypertrophy, 10 patients with glomerulomegaly and podocyte hypertrophy, 5 patients with focal segmental hyalinosis, and 16 patients with increased mesangial matrix and/or mesangial proliferation, participated in this study. Biological parameters, including serum IGF-1 concentrations with the standard deviation score for age (SDS-IGF-1), were determined for all patients.

Eighty patients (50 women and 30 men) with a mean BMI of 52.63 ± 8.71 and a mean age of 42.40 ± 9.45 years were included in this study. IGF-1, IGF-1 SDS and IGF-1BP3 levels according to the renal injury were compared (normal glomeruli: IGF-1 = 190.17 ± 72.46; glomerulomegaly: IGF-1 = 122.3 ± 50.05; podocyte hypertrophy: IGF-1 = 119.81 ± 60.34; focal segmental hyalinosis: IGF-1 170.98 ± 100.83, increased mesangial matrix and/or mesangial proliferation: IGF-1 117.73 ± 63.87). Statistically significant differences were observed between serum levels of IGF-1 and between the levels of SDS-IGF-1 by comparing the group without glomerular lesion with the group formed by patients with any type of glomerular injury. Logistic regression analysis was performed, with the dependent variable defined as the glomerular injury. In the multivariate analysis, only SDS-IGF-1 was associated with glomerular injury, and low levels of IGF-1 SDS were a risk factor for kidney injury.

Our study demonstrates that low IGF-1 serum levels are associated with renal lesions in morbidly obese patients without overt clinical renal manifestations.