Alteration of circulating insulin-like growth factors in patients infected with bacteria helicobacter pylori or francisella tularensis

Summary: Alterations of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and -II) and their binding proteins (IGFBP) in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori or Francisella tularensis are reported in this paper. Infections were diagnosed immunochemically, by determination of specific antibodies to each bacterial species. It was shown that IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP-3 concentrations were lower in patients with bacterial infections, while IGFBP-2 concentration increased in comparison with healthy adults. Although the effect was more pronounced in the case of H. pylori infection, statistically significant reductions of IGF-I and IGF-II were found in both groups of patients. For IGF-I p < 0.0001 and for IGF-II p = 0.037 in patients with H. pylori, while p = 0.017 and p = 0.032 in patients with F. tularensis. Alterations of the IGF system can be regarded as a combined effect of bacterial infection on immuno, gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and nutritional axes in the organism.