title: Serum calcitonin gene-related peptide levels in untreated prostate cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in prostate cancer has not been fully understood. Moreover, the serum CGRP level in prostate cancer patients has never been reported. We measured the serum CGRP levels in untreated prostate cancer patients to elucidate its clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used 36 serum samples from prostate cancer patients. All patients had never received any treatment. Serum CGRP was measured by immunoradiometric assay, and we analysed the association between serum CGRP level and clinicopathological factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum CGRP levels in the patients with higher clinical stages and histological grade were significantly higher than in those with lower stages and grade, respectively. But the levels did not correlate with the patient's age, liver or renal functions, serum prostate-specific antigen levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum CGRP levels were significantly elevated in the patients with high grade or high stage untreated prostate cancer patients. Measurement of the serum CGRP may be a useful predictor of staging or grading of prostate cancer in the untreated prostate cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan. s.kazu@jichi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide