CERTAIN LARGE FORMS OF CIRCULATING IMMUNOREACTIVE HUMAN GROWTH-HORMONE ARE IN FACT IMMUNOGLOBULINS

To explain frequent discordances between serum GH levels and clinical manifestation of acromegaly, we investigated the possibility that certain immunoglobulins G (IgGs) might be responsible for the displacement of [125I]human (h) GH in the hGH RIA. We incubated dilute sera from seven active acromegalics (basal immunoreactive hGH, 22–313 μg/L) with rat adipocyte plasma membranes adsorbed on polystyrene plates. IgGs that bound to GH receptor sites in the absence and presence of 250 nM hGH (for nonspecific binding) were detected using anti-hlgG (Fc-specific) antibody conjugated with alkaline phosphatase. In this system two of the seven sera studied tested positive for IgGs against GH-binding sites (serum 4 in 1:400 dilution, and serum 7 in 1:10 dilution). We studied further the serum with the highest titer. On Sephadex G-100, most of the GH-like immunoreactivity (assayed by RIA) present in serum 4 coeluted with IgGs (assayed by immunodiffussion) as a high mol wt (≥ 150 kDa) component. To confirm its IgG nature, this material was then adsorbed on protein-A-Sepharose and eluted with 0.1 M sodium citrate, pH 3.0. The protein-A-purified IgGs from serum 4 bound specifically to GH receptor sites in adipocyte membranes and displaced [125I]hGH in the hGH RIA. In contrast, IgGs purified from another acromegalic patient (313 μg/L hGH) repeatedly tested negative in the membrane binding assay and hGH RIA. We conclude that 1) some active acromegalics have circulating IgGs that bind both to hGH-specific antibodies in the RIA and to GH receptor sites; 2) certain forms of the socalled big big GH may correspond to these IgGs; and 3) possible metabolic effects of these GH-like IgGs should be taken into consideration. © 1990 by The Endocrine Society.