Background
Pappalysins (PAPP-A, PAPP-A2) modulate body growth by increasing IGF-I bioavailability through cleavage of IGFBPs and are inhibited by stanniocalcins (STC1, STC2). Normative data of these novel factors, as well as of free IGF-I and uncleaved fractions of IGFBPs are not well established.
Objective
To determine serum concentrations of PAPP-A, PAPP-A2, STC1 and STC2, in relationship with other GH-IGF axis parameters during development.
Patients and methods
Full-term newborns (150; gestational age: 39.30 ± 1.10 weeks), 40 preterm newborns (30.87 ± 3.35 weeks) and 1071 healthy individuals (1-30 years old) were included in the study and divided according to their Tanner stages (males and females): I:163 males, 154 females; II:100 males, 75 females; III:83 males, 96 females; IV: 77 males, 86 females; and V:109 males,128 females.
Results
Serum concentrations of PAPP-A, PAPP-A2, STC1, STC2, IGFBP-2, total IGFBP-4 and total IGFBP-5 were elevated at birth and declined throughout childhood. In postnatal life, PAPP-A2 concentrations decreased progressively in concomitance with the free/total IGF-I ratio; however, stanniocalcin concentrations remained stable. PAPP-A2 concentrations positively correlated with the free/total IGF-I ratio (r=+0.28 p<0.001) and negatively with the intact/total IGFBP-3 ratio (r=-0.23, p<0.001). PAPP-A concentrations inversely correlated with intact/total IGFBP-4 ratio (r=-0.21, p<0.001), with PAPP-A concentrations being lower in females at all ages. Association studies indicate the importance of stanniocalcins and pappalysins in the control of this axis in an age specific manner.
Conclusion
This study provides reference values of pappalysins and stanniocalcins, which modulate IGF-I activity by changing the concentrations of cleaved and uncleaved IGFBPs.