J Korean Soc Endocrinol.  1999 Dec;14(4):688-697.

Bone Turnover and Bone Mineral Density in Acromegaly

• Kim SW
• Kim HJ
• Lee SH
• Kim WB
• Park DJ
• Shin CS
• Park KS
• Kim SY
• Cho BY
• Lee HK

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Abnormalities of calcium homeostasis and bone remodelling were known in acromegaly, but controversy concerning the influence of chronically elevated serum growth hormone (GH)/insulin like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations on bone metabolism has been existed. In this study, we assess the effect of chronically elevated serum GH/IGF-I levels on bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with acromegaly and compare the markers of bone metabolism and BMD of active acromegaly according to gonadal function.
METHODS
We measured biochemical markers of bone turnover and BMD in 50 acromegalic patients (41 active disease, 9 inactive disease) and 41 control subjects.
RESULTS
Active acromegalic patients had significantly higher serum oteocalcin levels (13.8+/-7.7 versus 6.8+/-4.7, 6.0+/--3.4 ng/mL, p<0.05) and urinary type I cross-linked N-telopeptide (101.7+/-64.2 versus 49.3+/-33.3, 56.1+/-39.4 nM BCM/mM Cr, p<0.05) compared with inactive acromegaly and control subjects. Serum IGF-I levels correlated positively with serum osteocalcin levels(r=0.69, p<0.05) and urinary type I cross-linked N-telopeptide (r=0.44, p<0.05). In the female patients with active acromegaly, BMD (T-score) was elevated in the femoral neck(1.00+/-0.14 versus 0.89+/-0.12,p<0.05) and trochanter (0.88+/-0.15 versus 0.77+/-0.11, p<0.05), whereas BMD of lumbar spine(1.13+/- 0.17 versus 1.17+/-0.17, p>0.05) and femoral Ward's triangle (0.78+/-0.16 versus 0.77+0.13, p>0.05) were not different from those of control subjects. In the patients with active acromegaly, serum osteocalcin levels (16.4+/-8.8 versus 14.9+/-10.1 ng/mL, p>0.05) as well as urinary type I cross-linked N-telopeptide (104.8+/-68.1 versus 122.0+/-80.3 nM BCM/mM Cr, p>0.05) were not different according to gonadal function. Also, femoral and spinal BMD were not different according to the gonadal function.
CONCLUSION
GH/IGF-I excess increase bone turnover and might achieve a positive bone balance at each remodelling cycle. Markers of bone turnover and BMD of skeletal bone were not influenced by gonadal function in the patients with active acromegaly.

MeSH Terms

Acromegaly*
Biomarkers
Bone Density*
Calcium
Female
Femur
Gonads
Growth Hormone
Homeostasis
Humans
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
Metabolism
Osteocalcin
Calcium
Growth Hormone
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
Osteocalcin