Circulating insulin-like growth factors in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori

Objectives The level of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins may change in acutely ill humans. The aim of this work was to examine the changes in the IGF system in patients suffering from infection induced by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Design and methods The serum concentrations of IGF-I, IGF-II and cortisol were measured by radioimmunoassay. IGFBP patterns were characterized by ligand-affinity blotting, and a lectin-binding assay was used to investigate the possible changes in the glycocomponent of IGFBP-3. Results Both IGF-I and IGF-II concentrations were significantly lower in patients with H. pylori infection (P< 0.001 for IGF-I and P = 0.016 for IGF-II) compared to healthy individuals, whereas the level of cortisol was significantly elevated in analyzed patients (P< 0.001). Autoradiography demonstrated the increased presence of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-1, together with a decreased level of IGFBP-3. Conclusions The circulating IGF/IGFBP system is altered in patients infected with H. pylori. The increased level of cortisol suggests the involvement of the hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal axis that stimulates the elevation of blood glucose, probably in coordination with decreased IGF activity to minimize anabolic metabolism.