Serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in patients with chronic hepatitis

Background: Insulin-like growth factor-I is a liver-derived humoral factor, which has important anabolic and metabolic actions and is predominantly bo und by insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3. Low serum concentratio ns of both insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor bind ing protein-3 have been reported in patients with chronic liver disease, es pecially cirrhosis, but their conditions in chronic hepatitis are uncertain . The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of chronic hepatitis on serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growt h factor binding protein-3 and their association with hepatic inflammation activity and fibrosis, Methods: Serum insulin-like growth factor-I and insu lin-like growth factor binding protein-3 were measured by RIA (ng/ml) in 17 patients with mild to severe chronic viral hepatitis (12 chronic hepatitis C, 5 chronic hepatitis B) and 16 healthy subjects. The hepatic inflammatio n activity and the severity of fibrosis were evaluated using Desmet classif ication. Results: Both insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 levels did not correlate with inflammation activi ty, fibrosis or transaminase levels. In the chronic hepatitis group, insuli nlike growth factor-I levels were significantly higher than the control gro up (mean, 263.8 +/- 27.33 versus 127.14 +/- 10.83 ng/ml, P < 0.001, respect ively), whereas insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 levels were si gnificantly lower when compared with the controls (1643.47 +/- 60.68 versus 2728.87 +/- 284.61 ng/ml, P < 0.05, respectively). Conclusions: These resu lts suggest that the concomitant states of serum insulin-like growth factor -I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 levels in patients with chronic hepatitis may be different from cirrhotic patients and high serum IGF-I levels may be a specific finding of the stage of chronic hepatitis be fore developing cirrhosis.