title: Defining normalcy of the somatotropic axis: an attainable goal?
abstract: The diagnoses of acromegaly and dwarfism require biochemical confirmation of abnormal GH and IGF-1 concentrations. The same parameters are used for therapeutic decisions, i.e. initiation or termination of particular treatments. Therefore, reliable and epidemiologically and statistically proven criteria of normalcy for GH and IGF-1 are required for these tasks to be accomplished. Despite major progress in all these areas, the definition of what constitutes "normalcy" of the somatotropic axis is still lacking. Using an example of acromegaly, we discuss the contradictions and the uncertainties of the biochemical diagnosis of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, 3920 Taubman, Box 0354, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0354, USA. abarkan@umich.edu
authors.forename: Ariel L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Barkan
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000175:diagnosis; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards*; D012015:Reference Standards
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I