Endocrine Abstracts

The chronic GH and IGF1 excess causes a specific changes in immune system due to presence of its receptors on T-, B-lymphocytes, granulocytes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the subpopulation composition and chemiluminescence’s indices of neutrophils in patients with active acromegaly.

Thirty-three patients with active acromegaly (11 men and 22 women, mean age 51.7±11.7 years) and 53 healthy subjects sex- and age-matched with the patients were enrolled in this study. The analysis of lymphocytes subset pattern were performed by indirect immunofluorescence, using of the FITC-marked monoclonal antibodies to CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16, CD19, CD25 and CD95. The De Sole P. method and ‘CL3606M’ chemiluminescent analyzer for the initial and zimozan-induced chemiluminescence of blood granulocytes were used.

The patients with acromegaly had significantly increased levels of CD8⁺- (median 47.0 vs 28.0%; P<0.001), CD16⁺- (39.0 vs 17.00%; P<0.001), CD19⁺- (31.0 vs 17.01%; P=0.030), CD25⁺- (37.0 vs 19.0%; P=0.001) and CD95⁺-cells (20.05 vs 8.5%; P=0.004), decreased levels of leukocytes (4.25 vs 5.62; P=0.001), CD3⁺- lymphocytes (43.0 vs 65.0%; P<0.001) and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ index (median 1.04 vs 1.54; P=0.001). The initial and zimozan-induced chemiluminescence of neutrophils revealed the significant extension of curve area (P<0.001). Also, the increasing of maximum intensity index by zimozan-induced chemiluminescence (P=0.003) was observed.

The whole T-lymphocytes quantity decreasing, the high level of cytotoxicity T-cells concentration, which expressed the receptors to interleukin-2 and FasL in patients with acromegaly were revealed. The results demonstrate that in acromegaly developing the population and subpopulation imbalance of immune cells, with the increasing of activated lymphocytes and functional activity of phagocytic cells.