Cord blood IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels in asphyxiated term newborns

OBJECTIVE: Determination and pathogenesis of perinatal asphyxia is still an important problem. During the asphyxial insult and recovery phase, alteration of the growth factors has been demonstrated and there is evidence that expression of insulin-like growth factors (IGF) and their insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP) in injured sites in experimental studies. Aim of this study was to evaluate relationship between serum IGF-1, IGFBP-3 levels and perinatal asphyxia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 18 term-newborn who defined as perinatal asphyxia and 12 term-healthy newborn were enrolled. Umbilical cord IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels were detected and searched correlation with apgar scores and umbilical artery gas analysis as pH, pCO(2), pO(2), base excess, HCO3, ctO(2), SO2 and lactate levels. RESULTS: Cord blood IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels for asphyxiated newborns were lower than normal group (27.8 +/- 2.6 ng/ml, 55.1 +/- 2.8 ng/ml respectively, p < 0.01 for IGF-1; 1107.7 +/- 320.4, 1682.5 +/- 364.1, p < 0.001 for IGFBP-3). Cord blood IGF-1 levels were positively correlated with birth weight; first and 5(th) minute Apgar score, cord blood arterial pH, ABE, HCO3, SO, levels. Cord blood IGFBP-3 levels were positively correlated with first and 5(th) minutes Apgar scores, cord blood arterial pH, pCO(2), ABE, HCO3, SO2, and also negatively correlated with cord CO2 and cord lactate levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that exposure to hypoxia and acidosis at birth strongly correlated with a fall in IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels in cord blood.