Procalcitonin can be used as a marker of premature atherosclerosis in acromegaly

The objective of the study was to evaluate arterial morphologic changes of early atherosclerosis and changes in procalcitonin (PCT) levels in patients with acromegaly according to disease activity. Thirty-three active and 20 inactive acromegaly patients followed at Endocrinology-Metabolism out-patient clinic of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty between 2004 and 2008 were included in the study. Twenty gender and age matched healthy subjects were included as the control group. Intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid arteries was measured by ultrasonography. Blood was drawn for biochemical tests and the serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and PCT. Intergroup analysis revealed no significant differences between Growth hormone (GH), insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and IMT (P = 0.42, P = 0.47 respectively). No significant differences were found in the fibrinogen, CRP and PCT levels of the acromegaly patients and the subjects in the control group (P = 0.57, P = 0.84, P = 0.68 respectively). In the patients with IMT ≥ 1 mm, PCT (0.4 [IQR: 0.4–0.55]) levels were significantly different from the patients without atherosclerosis (0.06 [IQR: 0.05–0.12], P < 0.001). The correlation between IMT and PCT (P = 0.001, r = 0.47) was more significant than the correlation between IMT and CRP (P = 0.01, r = 0.28). There was a positive correlation between IMT and atherosclerotic risk factors such as age (P = 0.01, r = 0.27) and body mass index (BMI; P = 0.005, r = 0.32). Our results showed that PCT increases before CRP and it can be useful for the assessment of premature atherosclerosis in acromegaly as well.