title: Development and performance of a highly sensitive carboxyl-terminal-specific radioimmunoassay of calcitonin gene-related peptide.
abstract: The calcitonin genes encode a small family of peptides: the circulating hormone calcitonin; its flanking peptide, katacalcin; and a third novel peptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). CGRP is a potent vasodilator and a major circulating product from the calcitonin genes; it may be a physiologically important regulator of blood flow in humans. High concentrations of circulating CGRP are found in medullary thyroid carcinoma. We report the development and validation of a highly sensitive (detection limit 500 amol per tube) radioimmunoassay of CGRP involving a high-affinity antibody directed against the carboxyl terminus of the molecule and a highly pure tracer. The assay is precise, robust, and reproducible, and is therefore a potentially useful analytical method for studying the normal and abnormal physiology of this peptide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, U.K.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Girgis
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: MacIntyre
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D003429:Cross Reactions; D006801:Humans; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide