Abstract
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is one of the most important growth promoting factors for various cells, Human(h) EGF has been found in several biological fluids, but little is known about physiological levels and developmental changes of hEGF in digestive juices during childhood. In this study, we measured hEGF levels in saliva, gastric juice, duodenal juice and stool by specific homologous radioimmunoassay. The mean value of hEGF in saliva was the highest at the neonatal period and decreased with age (newborns: 4.44 ng/ml, infants: 4.11, school-children: 3.95, adults: 2.38). The mean value of hEGF in gastric juice of 18 healthy children aged 2 months to 10 years was 3.09 ng/ml, and it had a negative correlation with age and gastric acid concentration. HEGF was also found in duodenal juice )n=12, 2M-6Y: 0.89 ng/ml). Meconium contained the mean value of 2.22 ng of hEGF per gram wet weight, and content of hEGF in stool decreased in subsequent neonatal days (day 3 : 0.88, day 7 : day 9-15 : 0.35), despite breast milk which is rich in hEGF, intake. The finding of the high value of hEGF in digestive juices observed in neonatal period and infancy suggests that hEGF is an important growth promoting factor of immature mucosal cells of digestive tract.
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Oguchi, S., Yamashiro, Y., Shimizu, T. et al. HUMAN EPIDERMAL CROWTH FACTOR IN DIGESTIVE JUICES AND STOOL OF CHILDREN. Pediatr Res 26, 271 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198909000-00044
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198909000-00044