Somatomedin activity and diabetic control in children with insulin-dependent diabetes.

To test the hypothesis that somatomedin activity is influenced by diabetes and its metabolic regulation, the relationship between somatomedin activity and diabetic control as assessed by hemoglobin A1C was investigated in 40 children with insulin-dependent diabetes. An inverse correlation between hemoglobin A1C and serum somatomedin activity was statistically significant. The data suggest that abnormalities of linear growth, which can occur in children with poorly controlled diabetes, may involve abnormalities in net somatomedin activity.