title: Immunoreactive somatostatin in catecholamine-producing extra-adrenal paraganglioma.
abstract: A patient with catecholamine-producing extra-adrenal paraganglioma was found to have a high concentration of immunoreactive somatostatin (IR-SRIF) in the peripheral blood plasma (47.0 pg/ml, normal; 13.3 +/- 5.3 pg/ml, mean +/- SD). After removal of the tumor, the plasma SRIF level fell within normal range (8.7 pg/ml). In the resected tumor, a considerable amount of IR-SRIF (71.0 ng/g wet weight)( was also detected and SRIF-positive tumor cells were demonstrated by the immunoperoxidase technique. Chromatographic analysis of an extract of the tumor showed the presence of two IR-SRIF components of large molecular size besides a component consistent with authentic tetradecapeptide SRIF (SRIF 14), and one of these had the same molecular size as octacosapeptide SRIF (SRIF 28). This seems to be the first report of a catecholamine-producing extra-adrenal paraganglioma that produces IR-SRIF with molecular heterogeneity.
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood*; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013004:Somatostatin; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine