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Pioglitazone in acromegaly - an open-label, prospective study
David D W Kim1, Jovina Goh, Zaven Panossian
1Department of Endocrinology, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
Clinical Endocrinology
|April 20, 2012
Summary
Pioglitazone did not effectively treat acromegaly. This study found no significant changes in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) or growth hormone (GH) levels after four months of treatment in patients with active acromegaly.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) preclinical studies suggest potential for decreasing growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).
- Acromegaly is characterized by excessive GH and IGF-1 production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of pioglitazone in managing biochemical markers of acromegaly.
- To assess the impact of pioglitazone on serum IGF-1 and GH levels in acromegaly patients.
Main Methods:
- An open-label, 4-month prospective study involving 16 patients with active acromegaly.
- Patients received pioglitazone 45 mg/day.
- Primary outcome: change in serum IGF-1; Secondary outcome: change in glucose-suppressed GH area under the curve.
Main Results:
- Pioglitazone treatment did not significantly alter serum IGF-1 levels (P = 0.95).
- No significant changes were observed in GH levels following oral glucose loading during pioglitazone therapy.
- The mean change in glucose-suppressed GH area under the curve was not statistically significant (P = 0.54).
Conclusions:
- Short-term treatment with standard doses of pioglitazone is ineffective for improving biochemical disease activity in acromegaly.
- Pioglitazone does not appear to be a viable therapeutic option for acromegaly based on these biochemical markers.
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