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Comparative Analysis of Human Growth Hormone in Serum Using SPRi, Nano-SPRi and ELISA Assays
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Insulin-like growth factor ternary complex components as biomarkers for the diagnosis of short stature

Aristeidis Giannakopoulos1, Alexandra Efthymiadou1, Dionisios Chrysis1

  • 1Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.

European Journal of Endocrinology
|August 17, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Diagnosing growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children is challenging. While ternary complex components like IGF-I show differences, auxology remains key for diagnosis.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Biomarker Discovery
  • Growth Disorders

Background:

  • Diagnosing growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children is complex, as standard tests like IGF-I and GH stimulation tests can be inconclusive.
  • Distinguishing GHD from constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) and other causes of short stature requires reliable diagnostic markers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the diagnostic utility of ternary complex components (IGF-I, IGFBP-3, ALS, IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio) in differentiating GHD from other causes of short stature in children.
  • To assess the discriminatory power of these biomarkers compared to auxological assessment.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study of 429 children (0.7-16 years) with short stature was conducted over an average of 9 years.
  • Ternary complex components (IGF-I, IGFBP-3, ALS, IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio) were measured and analyzed as potential biomarkers at final height.

Main Results:

  • All ternary complex components correlated with each other and age. Significant differences in IGF-I, IGFBP-3, ALS, and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio were observed between GHD and normal groups.
  • IGF-I and ALS were lower in GHD vs. familial short stature; IGF-I and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio were lower in GHD vs. CDGP.
  • Receiver operating curve analysis showed that IGF-I and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio lacked sufficient discriminatory power between GHD and normal/CDGP groups.

Conclusions:

  • Despite statistically significant alterations in ternary complex components based on diagnosis, their discriminatory power is insufficient for definitive GHD diagnosis.
  • Auxological assessment (growth parameters) remains the primary criterion for diagnosing GHD in children.
  • Further research may be needed to identify more robust biomarkers for GHD diagnosis.
Abstract

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