EFFECT OF CELIAC-DISEASE AND GLUTEN-FREE DIET ON GROWTH HORMONE-BINDING PROTEIN, INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH-FACTOR-I, AND INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR-BINDING PROTEINS

Failure to thrive is common in children with celiac disease. As altera tions in the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I (GH-IGF-I) gr owth axis have been reported in these patients, we studied the behavio r of growth hormone-binding proteins (GH-BPs I and II), IGF-I and its binding proteins in 14 children with celiac disease, either before or after a 6-month gluten-free diet. GH-BP II levels were significantly l ower in patients during the active phase of the disease than after the diet or in comparison with control subjects, appropriate for age and sex. There was no difference in the GH-BP-I levels of patients and con trols, nor did they change after the diet. Blood levels of IGF-I and I GFBP-3 were reduced before the diet in all patients while ligand blott ing showed that IGFBP-2 and 1 were increased. All of these parameters normalized after the gluten-free diet. IGFBP-4 was not greatly influen ced by the disease. Furthermore, we found a significant, positive corr elation between GH-BP II and IGF-I or IGFBP-3 levels. The height stand ard deviation scores and body mass indices of the patients improved si gnificantly after the diet. The body mass index significantly and posi tively correlated with GH-BP II, IGF-I or IGFBP-3 levels. In conclusio n, our data show that celiac children had multiple alterations in the growth axis during the active phase of the disease which disappeared d uring the gluten-free diet.