Serum insulin-like growth factor-I concentrations in late middle age: no association with birthweight in three UK cohorts.

BACKGROUND Small body size at birth and during infancy is associated with an increased risk of adult osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Fetal programming of the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor (GH-IGF) axis may provide a mechanism for these epidemiological findings. AIMS To determine whether measurements of GH and IGF-I in late middle age were related to size at birth and in infancy. METHODS Overnight urinary GH excretion and fasting serum IGF-I were measured in 309 men and 193 women from Hertfordshire (born 1920-1930) for whom birthweight and weight at 1 year were recorded. Serum IGF-I was measured in men and women from Preston (n=254, born 1935-1943) and Sheffield (n=215, born 1939-1940) whose birthweight and other birth measurements were recorded. RESULTS Urinary GH and serum IGF-I were not related to birthweight, other measurements at birth, or weight at 1 year. CONCLUSION In contrast to previous studies in children or young adults, these data do not support the hypothesis that IGF-I concentrations are programmed by intra-uterine events, as assessed by birthweight, in late middle age.

[1]  J. Eriksson,et al.  Serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-binding protein-1 in elderly people: relationships with cardiovascular risk factors, body composition, size at birth, and childhood growth. , 2003, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[2]  R. Holt.  Fetal programming of the growth hormone–insulin-like growth factor axis , 2002, Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism.

[3]  P. Sönksen,et al.  Aging and physical fitness are more important than obesity in determining exercise-induced generation of GH. , 2001, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[4]  P. Marzullo,et al.  Growth hormone and the heart , 2001, Endocrine Updates.

[5]  C. Osmond,et al.  Plasma lipid profiles in adults after prenatal exposure to the Dutch famine. , 2000, The American journal of clinical nutrition.

[6]  P. Sönksen,et al.  Growth Hormone – Hormone Replacement for the Somatopause? , 2000, Hormone Research in Paediatrics.

[7]  H. Orskov,et al.  Impact of gender and androgen status on IGF-I levels in normal and GH-deficient adults. , 1999, European journal of endocrinology.

[8]  I. Godsland,et al.  Reduced foetal growth and growth hormone secretion in adult life , 1999, Clinical endocrinology.

[9]  D. Barker.  Fetal origins of cardiovascular disease. , 1999, Annals of medicine.

[10]  D. Flanagan,et al.  Outpatient assessment of residual growth hormone secretion in treated acromegaly with overnight urinary growth hormone excretion, random serum growth hormone and insulin like growth factor‐1 , 1998, Clinical endocrinology.

[11]  H. Jernström,et al.  Insulin-like growth factor-1 in relation to adult weight and birth weight in healthy nulliparous women. , 1998, International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics.

[12]  K. Albertsson-Wikland,et al.  Children Born Small-for-Gestational Age: Postnatal Growth and Hormonal Status , 1998, Hormone Research in Paediatrics.

[13]  D. Grobbee,et al.  Serum total IGF-I, free IGF-I, and IGFB-1 levels in an elderly population: relation to cardiovascular risk factors and disease. , 1998, Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology.

[14]  PD Gluckman,et al.  Endocrine and nutritional regulation of prenatal growth , 1997, Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). Supplement.

[15]  D. Flanagan,et al.  Urinary growth hormone following exercise to assess growth hormone production in adults , 1997, Clinical endocrinology.

[16]  C Osmond,et al.  Size at birth and plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations. , 1995, Archives of disease in childhood.

[17]  D. Barker,et al.  Birth weight, weight at one year, and left ventricular mass in adult life. , 1995, British heart journal.

[18]  D. Barker,et al.  Weight in infancy and prevalence of coronary heart disease in adult life , 1995, BMJ.

[19]  C. Martyn,et al.  Growth in utero and serum cholesterol concentrations in adult life. , 1993, BMJ.

[20]  C. Osmond,et al.  Fetal growth and impaired glucose tolerance in men and women , 1993, Diabetologia.

[21]  S. Ljunghall,et al.  Low plasma levels of insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) in male patients with idiopathic osteoporosis , 1992, Journal of internal medicine.

[22]  P. Wood,et al.  The assay of urinary growth hormone in normal and acromegalic adults , 1991, Clinical endocrinology.

[23]  C Osmond,et al.  Fetal and infant growth and impaired glucose tolerance at age 64. , 1991, BMJ.

[24]  J. Gustafsson,et al.  Imprinting of growth hormone secretion, body growth, and hepatic steroid metabolism by neonatal testosterone. , 1985, Endocrinology.

[25]  T. Jørgensen,et al.  Heart Disease : A Population-Based Case-Control Study Low Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Is Associated With Increased Risk of Ischemic , 2002 .

[26]  B. Breier,et al.  IGFs and binding proteins in short children with intrauterine growth retardation. , 2002, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[27]  Stefano Cianfarani,et al.  Growth, IGF System, and Cortisol in Children with Intrauterine Growth Retardation: Is Catch-up Growth Affected by Reprogramming of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis? , 2002, Pediatric Research.

[28]  C. Cooper,et al.  Determinants of Bone Loss in Elderly Men and Women: A Prospective Population-Based Study , 1999, Osteoporosis International.

[29]  C. Cooper,et al.  Programming of growth hormone secretion and bone mineral density in elderly men: a hypothesis. , 1998, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[30]  G. Putet,et al.  Functional hypersomatotropism in small for gestational age (SGA) newborn infants. , 1989, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.