The Pituitary Is a Candidate Organ That Modulates Circulating Klotho Levels

The antiaging protein Klotho is shed and released into the blood stream (soluble Klotho). Growth hormone (GH) is considered an active Klotho regulator, because growth retardation is described in Klotho-deficient mice. The origin of circulating Klotho is, however, not fully understood.

Our objective was to analyze a possible role of the pituitary in regulating soluble Klotho in patients with pituitary adenomas.

We analyzed serum levels of soluble Klotho, GH, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) from 21 consecutive patients in our center with pituitary tumor, 7 with GH-producing adenomas (GHomas), and 14 with non-GH-producing pituitary adenomas (non-GHomas), before and after endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (eTSS).

Soluble Klotho levels were determined by ELISA with antihuman Klotho antibodies.

Baseline soluble Klotho levels in all patients, those with GHoma and those with non-GHoma, were 542 (median) (interquartile range: 403, 652), 1083 (425, 1213), and 525 (399, 590), respectively. A drastic reduction in Klotho levels was identified in those with GHoma, accompanied by decreases in GH and IGF-1 levels, after eTSS. Interestingly, patients with non-GHoma had significant declines in soluble Klotho without any significant changes in GH levels. Moreover, an oral glucose tolerance test revealed that soluble Klotho levels decreased, whereas a paradoxical GH peak was observed after glucose intake in a patient with GHoma.

Our data suggest that the pituitary may be a key organ that regulates circulating Klotho concentrations, implying that the pituitary possibly controls circulating Klotho through GH-dependent and/or GH-independent mechanisms.