Assessment of Serum B-Arestin Level in Acromegaly Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: Acromegaly is a rare endocrine disorder, with an annual incidence of 4 cases per million and a prevalence of 40 cases per million. The condition results from a pituitary adenoma that secretes growth hormone. Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess β-arrestin levels in patients with acromegaly, comparing those with and without diabetes mellitus with a control group. Patients and Methods: This is a case-control study involving 100 patients with acromegaly registered at the National Diabetes Center, Mustansiriyah University, and 76 controls. All recruited participants have given oral consent to participate in the study, which was conducted from February to August 2024. Results: the age distribution differences were not statistically significant (p=0.156). The gender distribution showed 47 females and 53 males in the acromegaly group. The β-arrestin level was higher among patients compared to controls, and showed the highest level in acromegaly and DM (16.86 ± 6.35 ng/ml), followed by acromegaly without DM (11.12 ± 4.78ng/ml), controls with DM (6.62 ± 2.83 ng/ml), and controls without DM (2.93 ± 0.98 ng/ml). Conclusion: High prevalence of diabetes among female patients with acromegaly. Elevated serum levels of β-arrestin were observed in patients with acromegaly, with higher levels noted in those with diabetes mellitus compared to non-diabetic acromegaly patients and control groups.