Elevated serum insulin-like growth factor 1 in recurrent aphthous stomatitis

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Oral Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) affects over 100 million Americans.
• Identifying the etiology of RAS is crucial for developing targeted treatments.
• Both RAS prevalence and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels peak during puberty.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between serum IGF-1 and related factors with RAS.
• To determine if the IGF-1 pathway is implicated in the etiology of recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 1,480 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
• Exclusion of participants with diabetes, lupus, high cotinine, or high glycemia.
• Comparison of serum levels of IGF-1, IGFBP-3, leptin, and insulin between participants with and without a history of RAS using logistic regression.

Main Results:

• A 1.30-fold increased odds of a positive RAS history were associated with every 100 ng/ml increase in serum IGF-1, even after adjustments.
• Non-Hispanic white participants had significantly higher odds of a positive RAS history compared to non-Hispanic black participants.
• Serum levels of leptin, IGFBP-3, and insulin did not significantly differ between RAS-positive and RAS-negative groups.

Conclusions:

• Elevated serum IGF-1 levels are significantly associated with an increased likelihood of recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
• The findings suggest a potential role for the insulin-like growth factor 1 pathway in the development of RAS.
• Further research into the IGF-1 pathway could lead to novel therapeutic strategies for RAS.