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Pituitary
Published in: Pituitary 2/2007

01-06-2007

Defining normalcy of the somatotropic axis: an attainable goal?

Author: Ariel L. Barkan

Published in: Pituitary | Issue 2/2007

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Abstract

The diagnoses of acromegaly and dwarfism require biochemical confirmation of abnormal GH and IGF-1 concentrations. The same parameters are used for therapeutic decisions, i.e. initiation or termination of particular treatments. Therefore, reliable and epidemiologically and statistically proven criteria of normalcy for GH and IGF-1 are required for these tasks to be accomplished. Despite major progress in all these areas, the definition of what constitutes “normalcy” of the somatotropic axis is still lacking. Using an example of acromegaly, we discuss the contradictions and the uncertainties of the biochemical diagnosis of this disease.
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Metadata
Title
Defining normalcy of the somatotropic axis: an attainable goal?
Author
Ariel L. Barkan
Publication date
01-06-2007
Published in
Pituitary / Issue 2/2007
Print ISSN: 1386-341X
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7403
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-007-0029-7

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