IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in congenital and acquired hypothyroidism after long-term replacement treatment

What Was Tested

This controlled clinical trial looks at IGF-1 LR3.

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of long-term replacement therapy with T4 in IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 serum levels.

Why It Was Studied

Thyroid hormones are involved in the regulation of the GH/IGF axis.

In hypothyroidism, serum levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 fall and these changes are reserved after short-term replacement with L-T4.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 12 patients taking part.

The age groups tagged for this paper are young children, children, teenagers and adults, both men and women.

The study included 12 patients affected with hypothyroidism and in replacement treatment with T4.

They were divided into 3 groups according to age at the beginning of treatment.

How the Study Was Run

Group B consisted of 5 young adults where CH was clinically diagnosed at the median age of 6 months and replacement therapy started at this age.

Group C consisted of 3 subjects affected with hypothyroidism secondary to thyroiditis where diagnosis and replacement treatment were delayed at age 11, 12 and 14 respectively.

All subjects were matched with a control of the same age, sex, weight and pubertal stage.

What Was Measured

In hypothyroidism, serum levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 fall and these changes are reserved after short-term replacement with L-T4.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Congenital Hypothyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I and Thyroxine.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a controlled clinical trial of IGF-1 LR3 in 12 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 10 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 1998 (Panminerva medica), a journal based in Italy.

More context: the IGF-1 LR3 compound page, all human trials.