The changes in serum type I and III procollagen, insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 levels in children with chronic renal failure.

Serum levels of carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) and aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) can be used as markers of bone formation and the evaluation of children with growth disorders. We measured the serum levels of these collagens by radioimmunoassay (RIA), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) (by immunoradiometric assay) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) (by RIA) levels in 24 children aged between 4 and 14 years with chronic renal failure (CRF) (n = 12 dialysis, n = 12 non-dialysis) and 12 age-matched healthy controls, to find out whether these parameters have a prognostic or therapeutic value on monitoring of growth retardation in CRF. Mean serum IGFBP-3 and PIIINP levels in the dialysis patients were higher than the control group, the difference between the groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). It seemed that the pubertal stage of the patients did not affect the levels of PICP, PIIINP, and IGFBP-3 while serum IGF-I levels in pubertal patients were significantly higher than those in prepubertal patients (P < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between PICP and PIIINP in any patients. Neither PICP nor PIIINP correlated with height z-score, bone age, IGF-I, or IGFBP-3. It was concluded that the increased serum IGFBP-3 and PIIINP levels in chronic renal disease are poor prognostic indicators leading to progressive renal failure and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Further investigations into the effects of these collagens on growth failure associated with CRF are needed.