Endocrine Abstracts

Introducing: Acromegaly is characterized by excessive GH and IGF1 secretion. Recent date suggests that soluble α-Klotho is also elevated in patients with acromegaly.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the serum levels of soluble α-Klotho in patients in relation with the activity of disease and to compare with control group (CG). We also examine the relationship between excess GH, IGF1 and serum levels of soluble α-Klotho in patients with acromegaly and in the control group.

Methods: We studied 75 patients dived into two groups: I (56 patients with acromegaly) and II (29 healthy subjects as the CG. First group was divided into three subgroups accordingly to minimal GH concentration during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and IGF1 concentration: surgically cured acromegalic (SCA), well-controled acromegalic (WCA) and active acromegaly (AA) groups.

Results: Soluble α-Klotho was the highest in AA group and the smallest in SCA group. The differences of soluble α-Klotho levels were statistically significant when AA group were compared to SCA, WCA and CG groups (P<0.000, P<0.002, P<0.001 respectively). The difference was statistically significant when AA group was compared to SCA+WCA group (P<0.000). Soluble α-Klotho positively correlated with GH levels in WCA and WCA + SCA groups (r=0.666, P<0.009; r=0.366, P<0.047 respectively) and with IGF1 level in AA group (r=0.589, P<0.021).

Conclusions: The level of soluble α-Klotho is increased in active acromegalic patients. The markedly increased level of soluble α-Klotho in active acromegaly patients normalize after successful treatment in SCA and WCA groups. Soluble α-Klotho could be a new specific biomarker reflecting activity of disease in acromegaly.