Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: To ascertain the types of treatment, results and correlation between GH and the simultaneous IGF-1. Setting: Endocrine and Neurosurgical Unit. Methods: Endocrine and laboratory database of 17 acromegalic patients (11 male) with mean (SD) age 51(3) years and follow up 11 years. Results: Pituitary surgery 11 patients (3 twice), external radiotherapy 10 (one heavy particle therapy). GH levels have come down from a median value 32.5 mU per litre (Mean plus/minus SEM: 51.9 plus/minus 11.5) before treatment to 5.8 (5.7 plus/minus 1.2) after treatment (t= 13.08, P less than 0.001 ). IGF-1 fell from 68.2 nmol per litre (74.6 plus/minus 11.3) to 36.2 (39.8 plus/minus 5.8), t=8.42 P less than 0.001). The correlation between GH and IGF-1 was strongly positive in men pre (r=0.89, n=12, P less than 0.01 ) and post treatment(r=0.71, n=45, P less than 0.01) while in women both these (pre r=0.05, n=8, post r=0.01, n=76) were not significant. Latest treatments were corticosteroids 3 patients, thyroxine 8, sex steroids 3, DDAVP 1, dopamine agonists 6 and somatostatin analogues 3 persons. Conclusion: Most persons with acromegaly require surgery and radiotherapy and eventually acquire satisfactory GH levels. Because of the lack of significant correlation between IGF-1 and GH in women, IGF-1 alone cannot be used as a criterion of biochemical cure.