Context: Control of disease activity in acromegaly is critical, but the biochemical definitions remain controversial. Objective: To compare traditional and novel biomarkers and health status in patients with acromegaly treated with either surgery alone or somatostatin analog (SA). Design and methods: Sixty-three patients in long-term remission based on normalized total IGF1 levels after surgery alone (nZ36) or SA (nZ27) were studied in a cross-sectional manner. The groups were comparable at diagnosis regarding demographic and biochemical variables. Each subject underwent 3 h of serum sampling including a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Health status was measured by two questionnaires: EuroQoL and Acrostudy (Patient-assessed-Acromegaly symptom questionnaire (PASQ)). Results: Total and bioactive IGF1 (mg/l) levels were similar (total: 185G10 (SA) versus 171G8 (surgery) (PZ0.28); bioactive: 1.9G0.2 vs 1.9G0.1 (PZ0.70)). Suppression of total and free GH (mg/l) during OGTT was blunted in the SA group (total GH nadir : 0.59G0.08 (SA) versus 0.34G0.06 (surgery) (PZ0.01); free GH nadir : 0.43G0.06 vs 0.19G0.04 (P!0.01)). The insulin response to OGTT was delayed, and the 2-h glucose level was elevated during SA treatment (PZ0.02). Disease-specific health status was better in patients after surgery (PZ0.02). Conclusions: i) Despite similar and normalized IGF1 levels, SA treatment compared with surgery alone was associated with less suppressed GH levels and less symptom relief; ii) this discordance may be due to specific suppression of hepatic IGF1 production by SA; iii) we suggest that biochemical assessment during SA treatment should include both GH and IGF1.

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Objectives.Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is a sterile inflammatory bone disorder with an unpredictable disease course. The objective was to assess clinical and radiological disease activity in children with CNO including response to early-onset pamidronate treatment.Methods.A single-center retrospective study was conducted of children fulfilling the Bristol Criteria for CNO. At the time of diagnosis, whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) or local MRI was performed to assess radiological disease activity. Children with multifocal or spinal bone inflammation and clinical disease activity not responding to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs were categorized as having extended CNO. Clinical disease activity was assessed annually.Results.Fifty-one children were included. Median followup time was 4 years (interquartile range 3–7). Children categorized with extended CNO (n = 32) were treated in an early-onset 2-year pamidronate regimen. In extended CNO, WB-MRI was performed at time of diagnosis, and at years 1 and 2 in 88%, 84%, and 91% of cases, respectively. During the first year, the total number of radiologically active lesions and number of spinal lesions per patient declined (p = 0.01). Clinically inactive disease was recorded in 12/32 children (38%). However, 8/12 children (67%) experienced clinical relapse. In limited CNO (n = 19), 10/19 children (53%) presented with clinically inactive disease after 1 year and did not experience clinical relapse.Conclusion.Pamidronate might contribute to improvement in clinical and radiological disease activity in extended CNO, especially after 1 year of treatment. However, children with continuously active disease after 2 years of pamidronate treatment were seen.

It is possible to measure free GH in human serum. Free GH correlated positively with total GH and inversely with GHBP. Measurement of free GH may be a helpful future tool in the management of GH disorders and in studies of GH-GHBP interrelationships.