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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Comparative Analysis of Human Growth Hormone in Serum Using SPRi, Nano-SPRi and ELISA Assays
Published on: January 7, 2016
Growth hormone receptor polymorphism and the effects of pegvisomant in acromegaly
Antonio Bianchi1, Gherardo Mazziotti, Laura Tilaro
1Division of Endocrinology, School of Medicine, Catholic University, Largo A. Gemelli, 8, 00168, Rome, Italy, abianchi69@yahoo.it.
Background:
Sensitivity to pegvisomant therapy is highly variable in patients with acromegaly but determinants of this variability are still unknown. Lack of exon 3 (d3-) of the growth hormone (GH) receptor (GHR) has been associated with increased biological activity of GH.
Objective:
To assess whether the presence of d3-GHR haplotype may have a role in predicting dose regimen and response to pegvisomant in acromegaly.
Design:
Case series. Setting Institutional referral center at a tertiary care hospital. Patients Nineteen acromegalic patients with active disease after unsuccessful neurosurgery and somatostatin analog therapy.
Measurements:
Before and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment with pegvisomant, IGF-I; GH receptor genotype, determined from peripheral blood by polymerase chain reaction. All patients started treatment with pegvisomant at 10 mg/daily and then increased the dose, according to a fixed schedule, during a 12-month follow-up until normalization of IGF-I levels.
Results:
d3-GHR patients required a significant lower dose of pegvisomant and shorter treatment time to normalize IGF-I.
Conclusion:
The GHR genotype could be useful in predicting dose and individual response to pegvisomant in acromegaly.
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