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Relationship between Insulin, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I, and Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Concentrations During Childhood, Puberty, and Adult Life^*

Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children; the Departments of Diabetes and Immunogenetics, and Reproductive Physiology, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital; and the Department of Growth and Development, Institute of Child Health London, United Kingdom

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. M. O. Savage, Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, Hackney, London, United Kingdom E2 8PS.

The relationships between plasma insulin, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) concentrations in normal subjects have not been defined. We performed iv glucose tolerance tests on 102 normal subjects, aged 5–20 yr. The subjects were divided into 4 groups according to pubertal stage (Tanner): A, stage 1 (n = 22); B, stages 2 and 3 (n = 17); C, stages 4 and 5 (n = 20); and D, adult, >17 yr (n = 43). The basal plasma IGF-I and insulin concentrations and incremental 0-60 min insulin areas in response to glucose rose significantly throughout puberty (P < 0.001 for all parameters) and declined to prepubertal levels by the third decade of life. There was a strong positive correlation between log fasting plasma insulin us. log plasma IGF-I (r = 0.625; P < 0.001) and log incremental 0-60 min insulin areas vs. log plasma IGF-I (r = 0.572; P < 0.001).

Plasma DHEAS concentrations were measured in groups AC(n = 59); these also rose throughout puberty. There was strong correlations between log plasma DHEAS and log basal or stimulated (incremental 0–60 min areas) insulin responses (P < 0.001). To assess the relationship between plasma DHEAS and insulin before puberty, we analyzed the data from group A separately. Plasma DHEAS concentrations tended to be higher in children 9 yr of age or older than in those less than 9 yr old, whereas basal and stimulated plasma insulin levels were similar. We found no correlation between log plasma insulin (fasting or stimulated responses) and log plasma DHEAS concentrations in group A (P > 0.05).

In conclusion, we found a strong relationship between plasma insulin and IGF-I throughout childhood and puberty and during adult life. This finding suggests that insulin may be important for normal growth during childhood. There was no correlation between plasma insulin and DHEAS concentrations in prepubertal children, which suggests that adrenarche does not influence insulin levels.

^* This work was supported by grants from the Joint Research Board of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, Eli Lilly Co., the Leverhulme Trust, and Nordisk-UK.

Received May 6, 1988.

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