Elevated insulin-like growth factor-I values in children with Prader-Willi syndrome compared with growth hormone (GH) deficiency children over two years of GH treatment.

BACKGROUND: Children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are routinely treated with GH and have a response comparable with that observed in children with GH deficiency (GHD).

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to compare changes in serum IGF-I, IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), IGF-I to IGFBP-3 molar ratio, and growth velocity during the first 2 yr of GH therapy in PWS and GHD children.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-three children with PWS (14 boys, 4.9 ± 3.8 yr) and 591 with GHD (351 boys, 9.6 ± 3.6 yr), all naive to GH treatment, were included in this study. Serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured at 0, 6, 12, and 24 months of GH therapy. The mean initial dose of GH was 0.9 and 1 mg/m(2) · d in the PWS and GHD groups, respectively.

RESULTS: Mean ± SD IGF-I sdscore (SDS) and IGFBP-3 SDS were significantly higher in PWS compared with GHD. The IGF-I to IGFBP-3 molar ratio was significantly lower at baseline and subsequently not different. Despite significantly lower GH doses in PWS children at 6, 12, and 24 months (P = 0.021, P = 0.021, P = 0.001), IGF-I reached 2.8 ± 1.2 SDS at 24 months (72% of values > 2 SDS), and remained at 0.7 ± 1.6 SDS in GHD children (17% of values > 2 SDS). IGFBP-3 did not exceed 2 SDS in either group. There was no significant change in the IGF-I to IGFBP-3 molar ratio.

CONCLUSIONS: IGF-I SDS increases to a greater extent in PWS than GHD. Bioavailable IGF-I is apparently not different, suggesting that any possible safety issues related to elevated IGF-I are similar in both groups.