title: Gastrin-releasing-peptide in neuroendorine tumours.
abstract: In a substantial proportion of cases with endocrine malignant disease the primary lesion cannot be localised and the pathologist hesitates upon the origin of the tumour. Well differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas of the small bowel can usually be identified by the strong serotonin immunoreactivity, but foregut carcinoids may also stain positive for serotonin and the differential diagnosis between the various foregut tumours may be difficult. We examined if immunostaining for gastrin-releasing-peptide (GRP) may aid in establishing the origin of an unknown neuroendocrine tumour. Tumour tissue from 79 patients (27 lung carcinoids, 4 thymic carcinoids, 4 gastric neuroendocrine tumours, 17 pancreatic well differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas, 1 duodenal well differentiated neuroendocrine tumour and 26 well differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas of the small bowel) were immunostained with antibodies against GRP and serotonin. Positive staining for GRP was found in 12/27 lung carcinoids. All other tumour types were consistently GRP-negative (p?<?0.0001). We conclude that immunostaining for GRP may aid in defining the origin of the tumour, and that GRP-immunoreactivity increases the suspicion of a lung carcinoid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrine Oncology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. dan.granberg@medsci.uu.se
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Granberg
authors.forename: Britt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Skogseid
authors.forename: Staffan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Welin
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Orlefors
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oberg
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wilander
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005755:Gastrins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*
chemical_list: D005755:Gastrins; D010455:Peptides