title: [Efficacy of delayed-release lanreotide in the medical therapy of acromegaly].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The efficacy of 6 months therapy with slow-release lanreotide (30 mg i.m. every 10-14 days) in 8 acromegalic patients has been studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  These patients had been previously treated (for 62 +/- 5.7 months) with octreotide (100 micrograms t.i.d.) and therefore presented, at the beginning of the study, normal mean GH (3.5 +/- 1.1 ng/ml) and IGF-1 (301.7 +/- 32.9 ng/ml) plasma levels. After a week of wash-out, mean GH (5.5 +/- 1.3 ng/ml) and IGF-1 (523.8 +/- 26.7 ng/ml) plasma levels showed a significant increase (p < 0.01) compared to the values observed during the treatment with octreotide. All 8 acromegalic patients then started the treatment with lanreotide, 30 mg i.m. After 14 days, mean GH plasma levels (4.2 +/- 1.3 ng/ml) did not significantly differ (p = NS) from those observed in the same group of patients during treatment with octreotide, whilst plasma IGF-1 levels (477 +/- 43 ng/ml) were significantly higher (p < 0.05). Four patients, in which mean plasma GH values resulted < 5 ng/ml, continued the therapy with lanreotide every 14 days. In the remaining 4 patients, in which plasma GH values were > 5 ng/ml, lanreotide was administered every 10 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 3 months of therapy, 6 out of the 8 patients presented persistent GH levels < 5 ng/ml during the day, with IGF-1 levels comparable to those observed during treatment with octreotide. The other 2 subjects presented plasma GH levels > 5 ng/ml during the day, with increased plasma levels of IGF-1. This latter group of patients was resubmitted treatment with octreotide, 100 micrograms t.i.d. After 6 months of therapy, all 6 patients presented GH and IGF-1 plasma levels comparable to those observed during treatment with octreotide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data show that slow-release lanreotide can be a valid therapeutic alternative to octreotide in the medical treatment of acromegalic patients.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università degli Studi, Modena.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Magnoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pesenti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gola
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tavernari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Velardo
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C060347:lanreotide; D013004:Somatostatin; D013006:Growth Hormone
vernacular_title: Efficacia del lanreotide a lento rilascio nella terapia medica dell'acromegalia.