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Insulin-like growth factor I correlations to changes of the hormonal status in puberty and age

V Hesse1, G Jahreis, H Schambach

  • 1Children's Hospital Berlin-Lichtenberg Lindenhof, Germany.

Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology
|January 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) levels rise through puberty, correlating with hormones like testosterone and estradiol. Elderly individuals show significantly lower IGF-I, indicating age-related metabolic changes.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Human Physiology
  • Growth Factor Research

Background:

  • Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) is crucial for growth, particularly during puberty.
  • Limited data exists on IGF-I's relationship with thyroid, adrenal, and sex hormones across the lifespan.
  • Previous research primarily focused on pubertal and elderly populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between serum IGF-I concentrations and age.
  • To examine the relationship between IGF-I and thyroid hormones (T3, T4), adrenal steroids (DHEA-S, aldosterone, 17 OH-progesterone), and sex steroids (estradiol, testosterone) throughout human life.
  • To characterize age-related changes in IGF-I levels from newborn to 100 years.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving 455 subjects aged newborn to 100 years.
  • Serum concentrations of IGF-I, T3, T4, estradiol, testosterone, DHEA-S, aldosterone, and 17 OH-progesterone were measured.
  • Statistical analysis to determine correlations between hormone levels and age, height, and weight.

Main Results:

  • Serum IGF-I increased from childhood to late puberty, peaking earlier in girls.
  • Positive correlations were observed between IGF-I and age, height, weight, and sex steroids during puberty.
  • IGF-I showed correlations with T3, aldosterone, and 17 OH-progesterone in pubertal stages, and T4 in earlier stages.
  • IGF-I levels significantly decreased with age after 60 years, reaching 29% of younger adults by 90 years.

Conclusions:

  • Adrenal DHEA-S may stimulate IGF-I synthesis, influencing pubertal growth via gonadal steroids and GH secretion.
  • Declining IGF-I levels in the elderly are associated with a more catabolic metabolic state.
  • Hormonal profiles and IGF-I concentrations change significantly across the human lifespan, particularly during puberty and aging.

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