The insulin-like growth factor system in the circulation of patients with viral infections

Abstract

The insulinlike growth factor (IGF) system was examined in the circulation of patients with viral infections (herpes simplex virus, HSV; cytomegalovirus, CMV; rotavirus, RV and adenovirus, AV). The serum concentrations of IGFI, IGFII and cortisol were measured by radioimmunoassay, while IGFbinding proteins (IGFBPs) were characterised by ligandaffinity blotting. Although both IGFI and IGFII concentrations were significantly lower in patients with viral infections (p lt 0.05) than in healthy persons, the IGFII/IGFI ratio was increased (p lt 0.05). No correlation between the concentration of IGFI and IGFII and the intensity of the antibody response to infection was observed. Ligandaffinity blotting demonstrated decreased amounts of IGFBP-3 (patients with HSV, CMV, AV and some patients with RV), increased IGFBP-2 (some patients with HSV and RV) and IGFBP 1 (patients with RV). Serum cortisol was significantly elevated (p lt 0.05) in patients infected with HSV, CMV and RV. The alterations observed can be interpreted as induction of the hypothalamicpituitaryadrenal axis and suppression of the growth hormone (GH)/IGF axis under the influence of viral infection.