title: Acromegaly: the significance of serum total and free IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 in diagnosis.
abstract: We have studied the physiological and clinical relevance of measurements of serum total and free IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in 57 previously untreated patients with active acromegaly (32 males, 25 females; mean age 47 years) as compared with sex- and age-matched normal healthy controls. Serum total and free IGF-I, but not IGFBP-3, are suitable biochemical parameters for screening for acromegaly. In acromegalics, the mean 24 h serum GH, total IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels tend to decrease with age. However, in our series of patients, mean 24 h serum GH levels, IGFBP-3, total and free IGF-I do not correlate with disease activity in acromegaly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van der Lely
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: de Herder
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lamberts
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone