title: Chromogranin A in human neuroendocrine tumors: an immunohistochemical study with region-specific antibodies.
abstract: Antibodies to six specific regions of the chromogranin A (CgA) molecule were used to study their immunoreactivity in human neuroendocrine (NE) tumors. Tissue specimens from endocrine pancreatic tumors (n = 14), duodenal carcinoids (n = 2), bronchial carcinoids (n = 5), ileal carcinoids (n = 5) appendix carcinoids (n = 2), medullary thyroid carcinomas (n = 6), parathyroid adenomas (n = 2), and pheochromocytomas (n = 8) were analyzed. The results showed that the NE tumor types expressed varying numbers of CgA fragments. A variation in frequency of the expression of immunoreactive cells was sometimes seen also within the same tumor type. The midportion fragment CgA 176-195 (chromacin) was the only fragment expressed in all tumors. Benign and malignant tumors expressed different patterns, being especially true of insulinomas and pheochromocytomas. These findings suggest that region-specific antibodies to CgA fragments can be used as a diagnostic tool for the characterization of NE tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Portel-Gomes
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grimelius
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wilander
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stridsberg
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004701:Endocrine Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C506150:CHGA protein, human; D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins