| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Submitted on October 7, 2004
Accepted on November 29, 2004
Institute of Endocrine Sciences, Ospedale Maggiore IRCCS (C.L.R., V.V., C.G., P.B-P., A.S., M.A.) and Unit of Endocrinology, Ospedale S. Giuseppe-Fatebenefratelli A.fa.R. (P.E., M.A.), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: cristina.ronchi{at}unimi.it.
Criteria to define remission of acromegaly have changed over years. Since 2000 criteria for cure are normal IGF-I levels and a nadir GH after oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) <1 µg/liter, though recent studies suggested to lower this cut-off. This study revaluated long-term disease activity of acromegalic patients, previously considered in remission, using these criteria. The study included 70 of 146 patients operated between 1984 and 1996 considered "cured" based on normal IGF-I levels, GH values <2.5 µg/liter and/or disappearance of abnormal GH response to TRH/GnRH. Among these 70 patients, 16 were lost, 3 died and 11 (1 of whom with disease recurrence) only went a phone interview. Forty patients participated in the study and were re-evaluated for IGF-I levels and post-OGTT GH nadir after 14.3 ± 4.2(SD) years from surgery. In all patients normal IGF-I levels and post-OGTT GH nadir <1 µg/liter were found. In particular, 19 patients had a GH nadir <0.19 µg/liter, i.e. the upper limit (mean+2SD) found in 30 controls, while 21 had a nadir between 0.19 and 0.77 µg/liter. No significant differences in hormonal parameters and co-morbidities between the two subgroups were observed. These data showed that lowering post-OGTT GH cut-off value within the normal range does not seem to better discriminate patients with different disease activity or long term recurrence risk.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  S Petersenn, M Buchfelder, M Reincke, C M Strasburger, H Franz, R Lohmann, H-J Quabbe, U Plockinger, and the Participants of the German Acromegaly Register Results of surgical and somatostatin analog therapies and their combination in acromegaly: a retrospective analysis of the German Acromegaly Register Eur. J. Endocrinol., November 1, 2008; 159(5): 525 - 532. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. L Ronchi, E. Rizzo, A. G Lania, R. Pivonello, S. Grottoli, A. Colao, E. Ghigo, A. Spada, M. Arosio, and P. Beck-Peccoz Preliminary data on biochemical remission of acromegaly after somatostatin analogs withdrawal Eur. J. Endocrinol., January 1, 2008; 158(1): 19 - 25. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Bex, R. Abs, G. T'Sjoen, J. Mockel, B. Velkeniers, K. Muermans, and D. Maiter AcroBel the Belgian registry on acromegaly: a survey of the 'real-life' outcome in 418 acromegalic subjects Eur. J. Endocrinol., October 1, 2007; 157(4): 399 - 409. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Melmed Acromegaly N. Engl. J. Med., December 14, 2006; 355(24): 2558 - 2573. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. L. Ronchi, V. Varca, P. Beck-Peccoz, E. Orsi, F. Donadio, A. Baccarelli, C. Giavoli, E. Ferrante, A. Lania, A. Spada, et al. Comparison between Six-Year Therapy with Long-Acting Somatostatin Analogs and Successful Surgery in Acromegaly: Effects on Cardiovascular Risk Factors J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2006; 91(1): 121 - 128. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH |
| Endocrinology | Endocrine Reviews | J. Clin. End. & Metab. |
| Molecular Endocrinology | Recent Prog. Horm. Res. | All Endocrine Journals |
