Western Ligand Blot Assay for Human Growth Hormone-Dependent Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein (IGFBP-3) The Serum Levels in Patients with Classical Growth Hormone Deficiency

YUKIHIRO HASEGAWA; TOMONOBU HASEGAWA; TETSUO YOKOYAMA; SHINOBU KOTOH; YUTAKA TSUCHIYA; FUMIHIKO KURIMOTO

doi:10.1507/endocrj1954.39.121

YUKIHIRO HASEGAWA, TOMONOBU HASEGAWA, TETSUO YOKOYAMA, SHINOBU KOTOH, YUTAKA TSUCHIYA, FUMIHIKO KURIMOTO

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Keywords: Western ligand blot, Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), Growth hormone deficiency

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1992 Volume 39 Issue 1 Pages 121-127

DOI https://doi.org/10.1507/endocrj1954.39.121

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Abstract

The insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGFs), important growth factors both in vivo and in vitro, are known to have at least six binding proteins (IGFBP-1-6). In human serum, IGFBP-3 is a major binding protein and is considered to be GH-IGF-I-dependent. We have established a Western Ligand Blot (WLB) assay for IGFBP-3. The method is a densitometric analysis of IGFBP-3 bands on a film of WLB. The IGFBP-3 levels of patients with classical growth hormone deficiency (GHD, 5 isolated and 10 multiple hormone deficiencies with appropriate therapy) were studied. Before puberty there is no overlap between control (n=31) and the patients with GHD (n=10). However, IGFBP-3 levels of two of five pubertal patients with GHD were within the normal range (n=16). We think that measurement of serum IGFBP-3 is a useful diagnostic marker for GHD, especially before puberty.

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