Measurement of Outcome of Surgical Treatment in Patients With Acromegaly

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare growth hormone (GH) levels at baseline and after glucose suppression measured with both a polyclonal radioimmunoassay and a highly sensitive immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) in patients with acromegaly and normal volunteers. II. Measure the levels of IGF-I and its binding protein, IGFBP-3, in these cohorts. III. Determine any correlation between levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 and GH suppressibility as assessed by sensitive IRMA. IV. Determine if patients who demonstrate biochemical features of mild GH excess are at risk for progression to active disease.