Effect of anthelmintic treatment on serum free IGF-1 and IGFBP-3: a cluster-randomized-controlled trial in Indonesia

In children, soil-transmitted helminth infections have been linked to poor nutritional status and growth retardation in association with lower levels of IGF-1. In adults, IGF-1 has an anabolic and metabolic function and is related to nutritional status. Here, we assessed the impact of helminth infection on free IGF-1 and its major binding protein, IGFBP-3, in adults. The levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP3 were measured in 1669 subjects aged ≥ 16 years, before and after receiving four rounds of albendazole 400 mg/day or matching placebo for three consecutive days. Helminth infection status was assessed by microscopy (Kato-Katz) and PCR. Serum free IGF-1 level was significantly lower in helminth-infected subjects [mean difference and 95% CI − 0.068 (− 0.103; − 0.033), P