title: Evidence for a peptide similar to 16K fragment in man. Its relationship to ACTH.
abstract: A radioimmunoassay directed toward the NH2-terminal region of mouse pro-ACTH/endorphin (called 16K fragment) was used to examine human samples. Culture media from two corticotropic adenomas and plasmas from 11 patients with various ACTH hypersecretory syndromes gave parallel displacement curves; displacement curves for human samples were not parallel to purified mouse 16K fragment. Following sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of culture medium from one adenoma, a major peak of 16K fragment immunoreactivity with an apparent molecular weight of ca. 16,000 was detected. A significant correlation (r = 0.963 ; p less than 0.001) was found between immunoreactive 16K fragment and ACTH in the patients' plasmas. These data indicate that a peptide similar to 16K fragment exists in man ; that human and mouse 16K fragment are immunologically distinguishable and that human 16K fragment appears to be secreted concomitantly with ACTH.
mesh_terms: D000224:Addison Disease / Q000097:blood; D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004723:Endorphins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009347:Nelson Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone