Calcitonin and PDN-21 as tumour markers in MEN-2 family screening for medullary thyroid carcinoma.
Calcitonin is expressed in medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTC). It is processed from a large molecular weight precursor and is flanked at its C-terminal end by a 21 aminoacid peptide (PDN-21) formed in equimolar concentrations to calcitonin by enzymatic cleavage of the prohormone. This investigation compared basal measurements of calcitonin and PDN-21 and the response of the two peptides following pentagastrin stimulation in normal controls and in family members with C-cell hyperplasia or early neoplasia. The results showed that calcitonin and PDN-21 may both be used in family screening for the MEN-2 syndrome, but the unstimulated circulating concentrations of calcitonin were higher and more influenced by C-cell hypersecretion than PDN-21 (P less than 0.01), and the increase in stimulated concentrations of calcitonin were significantly higher than for PDN-21 (P less than 0.01). These findings may be explained by differences with respect to secretion and metabolic clearance rate for the two peptides.
Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Schifter
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009377:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010418:Pentagastrin; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C037553:katacalcin; D002116:Calcitonin; D010418:Pentagastrin