Pegvisomant-induced serum insulin-like growth factor-I normalization in patients with acromegaly returns elevated markers of bone turnover to normal

Active acromegaly is associated with increased biochemical markers of bone turnover. Pegvisomant is a GH receptor antagonist that normalizes serum IGF-I in 97% of patients with active acromegaly. We evaluated the effects of pegvisomant-induced serum IGF-I normalization on biochemical markers of bone and soft tissue turnover, as well as levels of PTH and vitamin D metabolites, in 16 patients ( nine males; median age, 52 yr; range, 28 - 78 yr) with active acromegaly ( serum IGF-I at least 30% above upper limit of an age-related reference range). Serum procollagen III amino-terminal propeptide ( PIIINP) and type I procollagen amino-terminal propeptide, osteocalcin (OC), bone-related alkaline phosphatase, C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (CTx), albumin-corrected calcium, intact PTH, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D[1,25-(OH)(2) vit D], urinary type 1 collagen cross-linked N-telopeptide/creatinine ratio, and urinary calcium ( 24 h collection) were measured (single-batch analysis) at study entry and after IGF-I normalization, along with sera from 32 age- and sex-matched controls. Compared with controls, PIIINP, OC, and CTx were significantly elevated in patients at baseline. Pegvisomant-induced serum IGF-I normalization (699 +/- 76 to 242 +/- 28 mug/liter, P < 0.001) was associated with a significant decrease in PIIINP, markers of bone formation ( type I procollagen amino-terminal propeptide, OC, and bone-related alkaline phosphatase), and resorption (CTx and urinary type 1 collagen cross-linked N-telopeptide/creatinine ratio). 1,25-(OH)(2) vit D decreased and intact PTH increased significantly, but 25- hydroxy vitamin D was unaffected. A significant decline in calculated calcium clearance was observed. The decrease in serum IGF-I correlated positively with the decrease of serum PIIINP ( r = 0.7, P < 0.01). After normalization of serum IGF-I, there was no statistical difference between patients and controls for any parameters for which control data were available. In conclusion, GH excess is associated with increased bone and soft tissue turnover. Pegvisomant-induced normalization of serum IGF-I results in a decrease in markers of bone and soft tissue turnover to levels observed in age-matched controls, and these changes are accompanied by an increase in PTH and a decrease in 1,25-(OH)(2) vit D. These data provide further evidence of the effectiveness of pegvisomant in normalizing the altered biological effects of GH hypersecretion.