The relationship between changes in serum insulin-like growth factor profiles and changes in bone mineral density in postmenopausal women receiving hormone replacement therapy

Kim, Seok Hyun; Choi, Young Min; Suh, Chang Suk; Kim, Jung Gu; Shin, Chan Soo

Abstract

PURPOSES: To evaluate the effect of hormone replacement therapy(HRT) on serum insulin-like growth factors(IGFs) levels and to investigate if changes in serum IGFs reflect changes in BMD after HRT in postmenopausal women. MATERIAL & METHODS: IGF-I and IGF-II were measured by radioimmunoassay after Bio-spin P-10 seperation in sera obtained every 3 months from postmenopausal women who was taking premarin alone (premarin group; n=17) or premarin-medroxyprogesterone acetate(MPA group; n=42) for 1 year. Also, bone mineral density(BMD) were determined before and 1 year after HRT by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry(DEXA). All statistics were performed by Paired t-test, student's t-test, repeated measures ANOVA test, Pearson's coefficient.
RESULTS
HRT increased BMD of the lumbar spine and proximal femur in both premarin group and MPA group, but any difference in degreee of increase in BMD was not noted between premarin group and MPA group. Compared with pretreatment levels, serum IGF-I levels decreased at 3, 6 and 12 months after therapy only in latter group whereas serum IGF-II levels increased at 6 and 12 months after HRT in both groups. Changes in serum IGF-I and IGF-II levels during therapy did not show any difference by the bone response to HRT. Changes in serum IGF-II levels after HRT did not correlated with the 1 year changes in BMD at any skeletal sites studied, but changes in serum IGF-I levels from pretreatment to 6 months after HRT was negatively correlated with change in BMD of Ward's triangle.
CONCLUSION
HRT influences serum IGF levels in postmenopausal women and changes in serum IGF-I levels may predict the changes in BMD of Ward's triangle after HRT.