OBJECTIVETo study the value of serum insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels in differential diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

METHODSTo measure serum IGFBP-3 levels by RIA in normal children and adolescents, GHD children and short-stature children without GHD.

RESULTSSerum level of IGFBP-3 in 129 children with untreated GHD and with no pubertal development was 1.6 +/- 0.9 mg/L, which was less than that in normal group of the same age, but overlapped with the normal children in Tanner stage I. After six-month treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), serum level of IGFBP-3 in 59 GHD significantly increased from 1.3 +/- 0.7 mg/L to 2.7 +/- 0.9 mg/L, accompanied by an increase of body heights, growth velocities and serum level of IGF-1. Serum level of IGFBP-3 in 55 short-stature children without GHD was 3.3 +/- 2.2 mg/L, which was not significantly different from that in normal group.

CONCLUSIONSerum IGFBP-3 level can reflect the status of GH secretion in children with GHD and is a useful marker for differential diagnosis of GHD.