Radioimmunoassay of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-6 in human serum and other body fluids.

A radioimmunoassay has been established for the insulin-like growth factor-binding protein, IGFBP-6, isolated from a human transformed fibroblast cell-line. The binding proteins IGFBP-I and IGFBP-3 did not cross-react, but both IGF-I and IGF-II markedly inhibited IGFBP-6 tracer binding to antiserum. This inhibition, greater for IGF-II than for IGF-I, was fully reversed by the addition of IGFBP-3 to sequester the IGFs. After fractionation of human serum and follicular fluid samples by gel chromatography, interference in the radioimmunoassay by fractions corresponding to the 150 kDa IGF-IGFBP complex could be eliminated by IGFBP-3. The equivalent fractions from cerebrospinal fluid and amniotic fluid fractionation did not interfere in the assay. The mean IGFBP-6 level in adult human serum was 0.221 +/- 0.110 mg/l, with values significantly higher in men than women, and slightly decreased in pregnancy. Similar values were seen in umbilical cord serum and in amniotic and follicular fluid samples, while the mean level in cerebrospinal fluid was slightly lower, 0.152 +/- 0.049 mg/l. This assay will facilitate studies on the regulation of IGFBP-6 production, and its role as an IGF carrier.