Insulin-like growth factor-1 - a marker of inflammation in the colon and pancreas in ulcerative colitis

Aim. To determine the correlation of the level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) with the extent of the lesion, the degree of activity of ulcerative colitis (UC), the presence of pseudopolyps and neoplasia of the colon, as well as chronic pancreatitis. Materials and methods. 25 patients with UC aged 30-40 years were examined. All patients underwent endoscopic examination of the colon, endosonographic examination of the pancreas to verify the presence of criteria for chronic pancreatitis (CP) and a blood test for enzyme immunoassay for IGF-1 levels. A correlation analysis was performed with the calculation of Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (CC) with the determination of the closeness of the relationship between the signs on the Chaddock scale. Results. The study of the dependence of the amount of IGF-1 in the blood serum and the severity of inflammation in the colon showed a high degree of closeness, the CC was equal to -0.871. A significant correlation was also found with the presence of CP in UC (CC -0.601). The determination of the dependence of the presence of pseudopolyps and neoplasia of the colon and the level of IGF-1 did not show a statistically significant correlation between the studied signs. Conclusion. IGF-1 levels have an inverse correlation with the severity of inflammation in the colon and the presence of chronic pancreatitis in UC, which makes it possible to use the amount of this protein as a marker for verifying the degree of UC activity and the presence of CP.