104 IGF-1 AND IMPAIRED GRWOTH IN CROWH'S DISEASE

Abstract

Growth retardation in juvenile patients with Crohn's disease usually is only diagnosed retrospectively by growth rate measurements. However, on time therapy requires early detection. Other authors have claimed that serial IGF-1 measurements may be a useful marker of reversibility of impaired growth in children with chronic inflammatory bowel disease. In order to evaluate parameters useful to predict growth retardation we followed 26 juvenile patients by estimation of growth velocity, weight gain, Best activity index (AI) and serum levels of α-1-glycoprotein (GP), albumin and IGF-1 over periods of 6-12 months. RIA-IGF-1 was measured in serum after acid-ethanol extraction using an antiserum supplied by the NHPP, Baltimore, Md.Age corrected IGF-1 levels at the end of, but not before an observation period of 6 months were correlated to growth velocity (r= 0.57; p<0.01) and weight gain (r= 0.44; p<0.05). % weight gain also was correlated to % change of IGF-1 levels (r= 0.50; p<0.01). In contrast, there was no relation of IGF-1 to AI, GP and albumin levels, which again did not correlate to clinical parameters of growth.In conclusion: IGF-1 appears to be a better index of growth retardation compared to other parameters tested, but its value for the long-term follow-up of patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease in limited.