Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in burn patients.

Variations in growth factor IGF-1 levels during wound healing were assessed in 23 patients with burns of varying extent and severity. The patients were followed during the postburn period and the IGF-1 levels were regularly measured by radioimmunoassay. All patients with large burns had reduced IGF-1 levels which correlated with the surface area of burn. The most plausible reason for the suppressed IGF-1 level in these patients may be diffusion from the burned skin as we have found a strong correlation between IGF-1 and serum albumin. The reduced IGF-1 levels may contribute to impaired wound healing in these patients.