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.
Schifter
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Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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