title: Ghrelin expression in islet cell tumors: augmented expression of ghrelin in a case of glucagonoma with multiple endocrine neoplasm type I.
abstract: Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide that regulates GH release together with GHRH and somatostatin. The expression of ghrelin has been detected in the stomach, small intestine, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, kidney, placenta, and testis. Recently it was reported that ghrelin is present in pancreatic alpha-cells and that it stimulates insulin secretion. In this study, we examined the ghrelin expression in two cases of glucagonoma and two cases of insulinoma by Northern blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Ghrelin expression was identified in a case of glucagonoma associated with multiple endocrine neoplasm type I both by Northern blot analysis using total RNA and by immunohistochemistry, although the plasma ghrelin level was not elevated. This is the first case of tumor in which ghrelin gene expression was detected by Northern blot analysis using total RNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwakura
authors.forename: Kiminori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hosoda
authors.forename: Ryuichiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Komoto
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Choel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujikura
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takaya
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akamizu
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hosoda
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kangawa
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Kazuwa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakao
mesh_terms: D007516:Adenoma, Islet Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D054439:Ghrelin; D005935:Glucagonoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018761:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D012313:RNA