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Elevated insulin-like growth factor-1 in Cushing's disease
Katherine English1,2, Viral Chikani1, Goce Dimeski2,3
1Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Objective:
To determine if patients with untreated Cushing's disease have higher serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) compared to matched controls, and if IGF-1 decreases following remission of Cushing's disease.
Design:
Retrospective case-control study matching Cushing's disease cases to control patients for adenoma size, age, sex, diabetic and gonadal status, body mass index and serum IGF-1 measured within one year. Paired analysis of pre-operative (untreated) and >3 months post-operative (remission) serum IGF-1 for cases.
Patients And Measurements:
All patients were investigated at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Endocrine Unit between 2005 and 2017. Serum IGF-1 was measured in 25 cases and 49 controls, 23 case-control pairs and 13 cases pre- and post-operatively.
Results:
Mean serum IGF-1 in cases was significantly higher compared to controls-32 ± 12 nmol/L compared to 25 ± 8 nmol/L, (P = 0.005). The proportion of cases with elevated serum IGF-1 above an age-adjusted reference range was higher compared to 1:1 matched controls (8/23 (35%) vs 1/23 (4%), P = 0.02). In 13 cases in remission post-operatively, serum IGF-1 decreased significantly from 31 (IQR 29-40.5) nmol/L to 23 (IQR 15-28.5) nmol/L, (P < 0.001), despite no difference in the prevalence of pre- vs post-operative pituitary hormone dysfunction (P = 0.47).
Conclusion:
Patients with untreated Cushing's disease may have elevated IGF-1, which decreases following remission. Mildly elevated IGF-1 in Cushing's disease does not imply pathological growth hormone (GH) excess.