Some peptide hormones are associated with specific, high-affinity plasma proteins. The major binding protein (BP) for growth hormone (GH) in humans is a circulating fragment of the GH membrane receptor, consisting of the hydrophilic, extracellular portion of that transmembrane glycoportein. The circulating levels of GH-BP mirror the levels of GH receptors. There are 4 well-characterized insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-BPs. One IGF-binding component in plasma is a fragment of the extracellular portion of the IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptor, analogous to the GH-BP. The 3 other cloned IGF-BPs form a homologous family of proteins with differences in structure, glycosylation and hormonal control that suggest differences in function. The GH- and IGF-BPs play a major role in the metabolism and biological action of these peptide hormones.