Divergence between growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-i concentrations in the follow-up of acromegaly

Divergence between GH and IGF-I values is regularly observed in treated acromegalic patients, and its significance is unclear.

The objective of the study was to explore the frequency and identify potential determinants of discordant serum GH and IGF-I concentrations in noncured acromegalic patients.

Two hundred twenty-nine noncured acromegalic patients of the Belgian acromegaly registry (AcroBel) were grouped according to their mean GH level (< or = or > 2 microg/liter) and IGF-I z-score (< or = 2 or > 2). Clinical and metabolic parameters were compared between groups with active disease (high GH and IGF-I; n=81),high GH (with normal IGF-I; n=25), high IGF-I (with normal GH; n=55), and controlled disease (GH and IGF-I normal; n=68).

Compared with the high IGF-I group, the high GH group was characterized by younger age (52 vs. 58 yr, P < 0.05), female predominance (72 vs. 36%, P < 0.01), and lower body mass index (25 vs. 31 kg/m(2); P < 0.001), fasting glucose (91 vs. 99 mg/dl; P < 0.05), and glycated hemoglobin levels (5.7 vs. 6.1%; P < 0.01). There was no difference among the groups regarding baseline characteristics of pituitary adenoma, current medical treatment, or symptom score.

Thirty-five percent of noncured acromegalic patients exhibit a discordant GH and IGF-I pattern. The high GH phenotype was found predominantly in younger estrogen-sufficient females, implying a possible role for age, gender, and estrogens in this biochemical divergence. The high IGF-I phenotype was associated with a worse metabolic profile, suggesting that high IGF-I, rather than high GH, is indicative of persistently active disease.