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Urinary insulin-like-growth factor I in normal children: relationship to age, pubertal status and urinary growth

S G Ratcliffe1, N Masera, A M Skinner

  • 1Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.

Growth Regulation
|March 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

This study establishes normal ranges for urinary insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) in children, correlating it with urinary growth hormone (uGH). These findings support non-invasive growth disorder diagnostics.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Biochemistry
  • Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) is present in human urine at low levels, correlating with serum concentrations.
  • Urinary IGF-I (uIGF-I) offers a potential non-invasive marker for growth-related physiological studies.
  • Previous research has established serum IGF-I and growth hormone (GH) relationships, but urinary markers require further definition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the normal range of uIGF-I in healthy children concerning age, sex, and pubertal status.
  • To investigate the relationship between uIGF-I and urinary growth hormone (uGH) levels.
  • To assess the utility of uIGF-I as a non-invasive biomarker in pediatric growth disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Measurement of IGF-I in urine samples from 302 healthy children (149 boys, 153 girls) using radioimmunoassay (RIA) after acid extraction and gel chromatography.
  • Analysis of previously measured urinary growth hormone (uGH) in the same cohort.
  • Statistical correlation analysis between uIGF-I, uGH, age, sex, and pubertal stage.

Main Results:

  • Mean nightly uIGF-I excretion varied by pubertal stage, peaking at PS 4 for males (66.8 ng) and PS 3 for females (55.8 ng), coinciding with peak uGH.
  • Significant correlations (P < 0.01) were observed between uGH and uIGF-I throughout childhood and puberty.
  • Established normal ranges for uIGF-I across different pediatric age groups and pubertal stages.

Conclusions:

  • Urinary IGF-I levels exhibit distinct patterns related to pubertal development in children.
  • A strong correlation exists between urinary IGF-I and urinary growth hormone, supporting their combined use.
  • These findings enhance the potential for non-invasive assessment of growth disorders and physiological studies in children.

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