Introduction
Insulin growth factor-1, also known as somatomedin C, is a hormone with a molecular structure similar to insulin that is vital for promoting growth in children and has anabolic effects on adults.
The insulin growth factor-1 gene in humans encodes the protein known as insulin growth factor-1. Insulin growth factor-1 comprises three intramolecular disulfide bridges and 70 amino acids in a single chain. The liver is the primary organ that produces insulin growth factor-1. Growth hormone stimulates production. Insulin growth factor-1 is mostly linked to one of six binding proteins (insulin growth factor-binding proteins). Insulin controls insulin growth factor-binding proteins -1. Although insulin growth factor-1 is produced throughout life, the pubertal growth spurt is when it is produced at the highest levels. The earliest ages and old age have the lowest amounts. Mecasermin, a man-made insulin growth factor-1 derivative, is utilized to treat the deficiency.
What Is the Role of Insulin Growth Factor -1?
Growth hormone actions are mostly mediated by insulin growth factor-1. The liver is induced to create insulin growth factor-1 by growth hormone, which is produced in the anterior pituitary gland, released into the blood. Insulin growth factor-1 then stimulates systemic body growth and promotes the growth of nearly all body cells, including those found in skeletal muscle, cartilage, bone, the liver, kidney, neuron, skin, hematopoietic, and lung cells. Insulin growth factor-1 can control cellular DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) synthesis in addition to its actions that resemble those of insulin.
Insulin growth factor-1 interacts with the insulin receptor and at least two other cell surface receptor tyrosine kinases, including the insulin growth factor-1 receptor. Its major activity is mediated by binding to the insulin growth factor-1 receptor, a particular receptor found on the surface of numerous cell types in numerous organs. Intracellular signaling is started when the insulin growth factor-1 receptor is bound. Insulin growth factor-1 stimulates cell growth and proliferation, inhibits programmed cell death, and is one of the most effective natural activators of the AKT signaling pathway. By expressing receptor tyrosine kinase on the cell surface, insulin growth factor-1 binds to and activates its receptor, and the insulin growth factor-1 receptor sends signals through various intracellular transduction cascades. The key player in controlling insulin growth factor-1 metabolic effects for cellular survival and senescence is insulin growth factor-1.
How Does Insulin Growth Factor-1 Deficiency Occur?
When insulin growth factor-1 levels in the blood are incredibly low or undetectable, it is referred to as a severe primary insulin growth factor-1 deficit. Laron syndrome is a hereditary disorder that causes the classic (most well-known) type of severe primary insulin growth factor-1 deficit. A growth hormone receptor that is faulty and not functioning properly is present in people with Laron syndrome. The growth hormone receptor is essential for healthy growth because it binds and recognizes growth hormone, which releases insulin growth factor-1 and promotes growth in the body's specific cells. Insulin growth factor-1 levels are low or undetectable because people with Laron have altered growth hormone receptors that render them immune to the effects of growth hormone. Severe primary insulin growth factor-1 deficit and short stature have been linked to several additional genetic anomalies in the growth hormone-insulin growth factor-1 pathway.
What Etiology Behind Insulin Growth Factor-1 Deficiency?
Homozygous mutations in the insulin-like growth factor 1 gene lead to insulin growth factor-1 insufficiency (IGFI; 12q22-q24.1). For fetal and postnatal growth, the development of the brain, and metabolism, insulin growth factor-1 is crucial.
What Is an Insulin Growth Factor-1 Test?
Insulin-like growth factor-1 levels in the blood are determined by this test. Insulin growth factor-1 is a hormone that controls how growth hormone behaves in the body. Insulin growth factor-1 and growth hormone work together to support healthy bone and tissue growth. Depending on food and degree of activity, growth hormone levels in the blood change throughout the day. However, insulin growth factor-1 levels are unchanging. In order to determine whether the body is producing growth hormone at a normal rate, an insulin growth factor-1 test is helpful.
It is likely that a child has a growth hormone deficiency or is insensitive to growth hormones if the results show lower-than-normal levels of insulin growth factor-1. Treatment with growth hormone augmentation may be advantageous for the child. Injected medication called growth hormone supplementation contains synthetic human growth hormone. Some kids who have growth hormone insufficiency can grow several inches in the first year of treatment when it is detected and treated early. Others develop less rapidly yet nevertheless gain from treatment.
What Are the Symptoms Associated With Insulin Growth Factor-1 Deficiency?
Children with growth hormone insensitivity or low levels of insulin growth factor-1 show the following symptoms:
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The slower pace of growth than children of the same age.
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Smaller than children of the same age in terms of height, weight, and length.
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Males have small penis.
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Fine hair.
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Poorly growing nails.
Adults with growth hormone deficiency may experience symptoms like tiredness and a loss of muscle mass and bone density. Adults rarely undergo insulin growth factor-1 deficiency testing, as other illnesses are considerably more likely to be the source of these symptoms.
The following are some signs of childhood gigantism (growth hormone excess or higher):
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Disproportionately large growth compared to youngsters of the same age.
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Extra-large head.
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Abnormally large hands and feet.
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Moderate to mild obesity.
Adult acromegaly (excess growth hormone) symptoms include:
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A husky, deep voice.
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Greater-than-average dimensions of the lips, nose, and tongue.
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Sweating excessively and bad body odor.
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Increasing bone density.
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Rough, greasy skin.
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Irregular women's menstrual cycles.
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Male erectile dysfunction.
What Are the Treatment Modalities for Insulin Growth Factor-1?
Mecasermin, a recombinant (man-made) version of insulin growth factor-1, can now be used to treat primary insulin growth factor deficiency in the United Kingdom. It functions similarly to naturally occurring insulin growth factor-1 and has a similar chemical makeup. Children who experience growth issues due to low blood levels of insulin growth factor-1 are treated with Mecasermin because the body is resistant to the effects of growth hormone and then the growth hormone levels becomes normal in primary insulin growth factor deficiency. This treatment is advised when growth hormone therapy is not helpful. Subcutaneous (just under the skin) injections of Mecasermin are administered twice daily. It must be administered just before or right after a meal. This is due to the fact that it can lower blood sugar levels and has effects that are comparable to those of insulin.
Children having severe primary insulin growth factor-1 insufficiency must be 2 to 18 years old in order to meet the requirements for Mecasermin treatment in the United Kingdom. The severe primary insulin growth facotr-1 insufficiency is indicated by height that is 3 standard deviations below the mean, blood insulin growth factor-1 levels that are 2.5th centile, and normal growth hormone production.
Conclusion
The hormones linked to normal growth may be insufficient in kids who are short in stature. Growth failure occurs in children with insufficient amounts of growth hormone, a condition known as growth hormone deficit. Insulin growth factor-1, a hormone predominantly produced in the liver, is low in those with a growth hormone deficit. By acting on "target" bodily tissues like the growth plates of the bones, insulin growth factor-1 controls the growth-promoting effects of growth hormone. Despite having normal or even high growth hormones level, some children experience developmental failure. Insulin growth factor-1 levels in some of these kids are extremely low, and this is a condition known as primary insulin-like growth factor deficiency. Insulin growth factor-1 replacement treatment, which has been approved by the food and drug administration, can treat insulin growth factor deficiency. It is injected under the skin, just like growth hormone. It is administered twice daily along with meals to prevent moderate-related hypoglycemia or low blood glucose levels, unlike growth hormone.
