Diagnostic Utility of Serum β-Catenin in Patients with Acromegaly: A Case–Control Study

Abed, Baydaa Ahmed; Farhan, Layla Othman; Sedeeq, Hind S.; Mohammed, Noor Ulhuda G.; Oleiwi, Ahmed R.; Omran, Hussein Hatam

doi:10.32894/kjms.2026.166475.1223

	Diagnostic Utility of Serum β-Catenin in Patients with Acromegaly: A Case–Control Study
Kirkuk Journal of Medical Sciences
Volume 14, Issue 1, January 2026, Pages 25-30 PDF (2.57 M)
Document Type: Original research
DOI: 10.32894/kjms.2026.166475.1223
Authors
Baydaa Ahmed Abed¹; Layla Othman Farhan²; Hind S. Sedeeq³; Noor Ulhuda G. Mohammed^* ³; Ahmed R. Oleiwi⁴; Hussein Hatam Omran⁵
¹National Diabetes Center, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
²Department of Chemistry, College of Science for Women, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
³Department of Chemistry, College of Science for Women, University of Baghdad, Baghdad Iraq.
⁴Consulting Laboratories, Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Al-Karkh Health Directorate, Baghdad, Iraq
⁵Department of Internal Medicine, Marjan Teaching Hospital, Babil Health Directorate, Babil, Iraq
Abstract
Background: Acromegaly is a rare endocrine disorder, most commonly caused by a growth hormone (GH)–secreting pituitary adenoma. This study aimed to assess circulating β-catenin protein levels in patients with acromegaly and to compare its diagnostic performance with routine laboratory tests. Methods: This case–control study included 60 adults with acromegaly and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (HS). Fasting blood glucose, lipid profile, renal and liver function tests, GH, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), uric acid, and β-catenin were measured in all participants. Results: β-catenin levels were significantly higher in patients with acromegaly than in HS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated excellent discriminatory ability of β-catenin for acromegaly, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.992 (p < 0.001). At an optimal cutoff value of > 1.811, the sensitivity was 91.7%, and the specificity was 100%. DeLong’s test further confirmed the superior diagnostic performance of β-catenin compared with routine tests. Correlation analysis showed that β-catenin was significantly and positively correlated with IGF-1, total cholesterol, and total serum bilirubin (TSB), while it was significantly and negatively correlated with creatinine. Multiple linear regression identified IGF-1, GH, urea, GPT, ALP, TSB, and uric acid as independent predictors of β-catenin levels. Conclusion: β-catenin levels are elevated in patients with acromegaly and exhibit excellent diagnostic performance. Monitoring β-catenin may provide clinically useful information and could assist in risk stratification and management of acromegaly.
Keywords
β-catenin; Acromegaly; Growth hormone; Insulin-like growth factor-1; Lipid profile

Statistics Article View: 16,303 PDF Download: 129