Abstract
To assess the value of serum insulinlike growth factor I (IGF-I) determination in liver disease, 21 patients hospitalized for active alcoholic cirrhosis (19 males, 2 females), 56 ± 2 y (mean ± SE) were studied at admission. Individual scores of hepatic alterations (Child score) ranged from 6 to 12 (mean: 9 ± 1). Basal IGF-I levels were dramatically decreased, averaging 0.11 ± 0.02 U/ml vs 0.70 ± 0.08 U/ml in 15 control subjects. In cirrhotic patients, IGF-I values were inversely correlated with the modified Child index (r= −0.57, p < 0.01). A highly significant positive correlation (r = 0.68, p < 0.001) was evidenced between IGF-I levels and aminopyrine breath test values (which provide quantitative estimates of the hepatic functional capacity). In contrast, no significant relationship was found between IGF-I levels and various nutritional parameters (albumin, prealbumin, retinol binding protein) after partial correlation analysis. The present data suggest that, in alcoholic cirrhosis, the decrease of circulating IGF-I values is mainly related to alterations of liver function, and that IGF-I can be used as a good indicator of functional hepatocellular capacity.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
D’Ercole A.J., Stiles A.D., Underwood L.E. Tissue concentrations of somatomedin C: further evidence for multiple sites of synthesis and paracrine or autocrine mechanisms of action. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81: 935, 1984.
Schwander J.C., Hauri C., Zapf J., Froesch E.R. Synthesis and secretion of insulin-like growth factor and its binding protein by the perfused rat liver: dependence on growth hormone status. Endocrinology 113: 297, 1983.
Phillips L.S. Nutrition, somatomedins, and the brain. Metabolism 35: 78, 1986.
Goldstein S., Sertich G.J., Levan K.R., Phillips L.S. Nutrition and somatomedin. XIX. Molecular regulation of insulin-like growth factor-1 in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Mol. Endocrinol. 2: 1093, 1988.
Schalch D., Kalayoglu M., Yang H., Scheff A., Pirsch J., Smith D. Serum IGF-I and IGF-II concentrations in patients with hepatic failure: effects of transplantation. 71st Meeting of the Endocrine Society, Seattle, WA, 1989. Abstract 1021.
Wu A., Grant D.B., Hambley J., Levi A.J. Reduced serum somatomedin activity in patients with chronic liver disease. Clin. Sci. Mol. Med. 47: 359, 1974.
Schimpft R.M., Lebrec D., Donnadieu M. Somatomedin production in normal adults and cirrhotic patients. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh.) 86: 355, 1977.
Minuto F., Barreca A., del Monte P., Buffa C., Bevevino R., Montale F., Torre G., Giordano G. In vivo and in vitro effect of liver on somatomedin generation. Horm. Metab. Res. 16: 663, 1984.
Takano K., Hizuka N., Shizume K., Hayashi N., Motoike Y., Obata H. Serum somatomedin peptides measured by somatomedin A radioreceptor assay in chronic liver disease. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 45: 828, 1977.
Zapf J., Morell B., Walter H., Laron Z., Froesch E.R. Serum levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and its carrier protein in various metabolic disorders. Acta Endocrinol. (Copenh.) 95: 505, 1980.
Salerno F., Locatelli V., Muller E.E. Growth hornone hyperresponsiveness to growth hormone-releasing hormone in patients with severe liver cirrhosis. Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf.) 27: 183, 1987.
Wu J.C., Daughaday W.H., Lee S.D., Lee T.S., Hsiao T.S., Chou C.K., Lin H.D., Tsai Y.T., Chiang B.N. Radioimmunoassay of serum IGF-I and IGF-II in patients with chronic liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma with or without hypoglycemia. J. Lab. Clin. Med. 112: 589, 1988.
Conn H.D., Daughaday W.H. Cirrhosis and diabetes. V. Serum human growth hormone levels in Laennec’s cirrhosis. J. Lab. Clin. Med. 76: 678, 1970.
Underwood L.E., Clemmons D.R., Maes M., D’Ercole J.A., Ketelslegers J.M. Regulation of somatomedin-C/insulin-like growth factor I by nutrients. Horm. Res. 24: 166, 1986.
Pugh R.N.H., Murray-Lyon J.M., Dawson J.L., Pietroni M.C., Williams R. Transection of the oesophagus for bleeding oesophageal varices. Br. J. Surg. 60: 646, 1973.
Furlanetto R.W., Underwood L.E., Van Wyk J.J., D’Ercole A.J. Estimation of somatomedin-C levels in normals and patients with pituitary disease by radioimmunoassay. J. Clin. Invest. 60: 648, 1977.
Furlanetto R.W. Pitfalls in the somatomedin-C radioimmunoassay. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 54: 1084, 1982.
Furlanetto R.W., Marino J.M. Radioimmunoassay of somatomedin C/insulin-like growth factor I. In: Barnes D., Sirbasku D.A. (Eds) Methods in enzymology, volume 146, Peptide growth factors. Academic Press Inc., New York, 1987, p. 216.
Virasoro E., Copinschi G., Bruno O.D., Leclercq R. Radioimmunoassay of human growth hormone using a charcoal-dextran separation procedure. Clin. Chim. Acta 31: 294, 1971.
Hepner G.W., Vesell E.S. Quantitative assessment of hepatic function by breath analysis after oral administration of 14C-aminopyrine. Ann. Intern. Med. 83: 632, 1975.
Hepner G.W., Vesell E.S. Assessment of aminopyrine metabolism in man by breath analysis after oral administration of 14 C-aminopyrine. N. Engl. J. Med. 291: 1384, 1974.
Lauterberg B.H., Bircher J. Expiratory measurement of maximal aminopyrine demethylation in vivo: effects of phenobarbital, partial hepatectomy, portocaval shunt and bile duct ligation in the rat. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 196: 501, 1976.
Snedecor G.W. Statistical methods. The Iowa State University Press., Ames, Iowa, USA, 1956, p. 429.
Unterman T.G., Vazquez R.M., Slas A.J., Martyn P.A. Nutrition and somatomedin. XIII. Usefulness of somatomedin-C in nutritional assessment. Am. J. Med. 78: 228, 1985.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Caufriez, A., Reding, P., Urbain, D. et al. Insulin-like growth factor I: a good indicator of functional hepatocellular capacity in alcoholic liver cirrhosis. J Endocrinol Invest 14, 317–321 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03346823
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03346823