[Duration of the effect of growth hormone on spongious bone]

The influence of duration of growth hormone action (length of history of acromegaly) upon acromegalic trabecular bone histology was followed in 28 biopted active acromegalics. The histology of trabecular bone was standardized by histomorphometric parameters. No statistically significant relation between length of acromegalic history and any of measured histomorphometric parameters (trabecular volume, trabecular thickness, absolute osteoid volume and osteoid surface) was found. The reason of this finding is probably consequence of serum growth hormone level, which changes during period of history in each acromegalic patient. With aim to find out if growth hormone influences bone histomorphometry of acromegalics after causal treatment (removal of hypophyseal adenoma causing overproduction of growth hormone), the comparison of histomorphometry from bone bioptic patterns of six active acromegalics with their bone patterns average 9.3 years after hypophyseal operation was done. With the exception of one eugonadal woman, all acromegalics were hypogonadal in time of second biopsy. Nevertheless no statistically significant differences between histomorphometric data (trabecular volume, trabecular thickness, surface and absolute volume of osteoid) were found. With knowledge of fact that there is low number of rebiopted acromegalics, these results could support idea of protective action of growth hormone upon trabecular bone of acromegalics during nine years after treatment.