Yonsei Med J.  2009 Jun;50(3):407-413. 10.3349/ymj.2009.50.3.407.

Influence of Gender on Serum Growth Hormone, Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and Its Binding Protein-3 during Aging

Affiliations
  • 1Radioimmunoassay, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
  • 2Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
  • 3Master's and PhD Program in Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
  • 4Division of Hepatobiliary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. linzuyau@yahoo.com.tw
  • 5Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Abstract

PURPOSE: The serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factors-I (IGF-I), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and growth hormone (GH) are related to body composition, function and metabolism, and are influenced by the aging process. This study was to investigate the influence of gender on serum concentrations of IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and GH in middle and old age subjects.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sixty healthy volunteers (male 35, female 25, 36-70 years) were divided into < or = 50 and > 50 years groups, based on gender. Women > 50 years were post-menopause. IGF-I, IGFBP-3, and GH were determined by immunoradiometric assay.
RESULTS
IGF-I was shown to be negatively correlated with age (women r = -0.62, p < 0.001; men r = -0.38, p < 0.05), whereas there was no correlation between IGF-I and GH values. Women > 50 years showed a significant reduction in IGF-I values than women < or = 50 years (p < 0.01). Women > 50 years showed smaller IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratios (0.177998 +/- 0.039404) than men of same age group (0.228326 +/- 0.050979, p < 0.01) and women < or = 50 years (0.247667 +/- 0.069411, p < 0.01). Age was shown to positively correlate with GH/IGF-I (r = 0.49, p < 0.05) and GH/IGFBP-3 ratios (r = 0.40, p < 0.05) in women.
CONCLUSIONS
The influence of aging on serum concentrations of IGF-I is more remarkable in women than in men. Menopause causes reduction of IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio. Women have the trend of progressive hypoactivity of GH to stimulate IGF-I and IGFBP-3 secretions with age.

Keyword

Growth hormone; insulin-like growth factors-I; insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3; menopause; middle age; aging

MeSH Terms

Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aging/*physiology
Female
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Human Growth Hormone/*blood
Humans
Immunoradiometric Assay
Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3/*blood
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/*metabolism
Male
Middle Aged
Sex Factors

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