Growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH).

Basal serum growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentration was measured by radioimmunoassay in patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) with muscle and joint pain and stiffness (symptomatic group) and in DISH patients without these constitutional clinical symptoms (asymptomatic group), but with persistent radiographic evidence of DISH. Serum GH and IGF-I was also measured in normal volunteers (control group) matched for gender and age to patients with DISH. Symptomatic male and female DISH patients had elevated serum GH and IGF-I concentration when compared to the control group. Asymptomatic DISH patients had serum GH levels that were significantly lower than their symptomatic counterparts. Clinical improvement did not alter serum IGF-I concentration. We conclude that serum GH concentration could be employed to monitor clinical remission in DISH.