title: Comparison between two commercially available chromogranin A assays in detecting neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chromogranin A (CgA) is the neuroendocrine (NE) marker most frequently employed in detecting NE differentiation in prostate cancer patients, either at the tissue level or in the general circulation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the two commercially CgA assay kits in detecting NE differentiation, in benign hyperplasia (BPH) or prostate cancer (PC) patients (pts). 170 pts with BPH, 107 with BPH+inflammation, and 136 PC pts entered the study. CgA was measured in each patient with the immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) and with the enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A moderate relationship was found between CgA measured with IRMA and ELISA in the whole population (Spearman's R=0.65, p<0.05), in BPH pts (R=0.76, p<0.05), in BPH+inflammation pts (R=0.53, p<0.05) and in PC pts (R=0.60, p<0.05). Twenty-two out of 62 pts (35.4%) with elevated ELISA CgA did not have increased IRMA CgA; by contrast, 21/61 pts (34.4%) with elevated IRMA CgA were not recognized as abnormal by the ELISA kit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CgA measured by the two assays provided a significant discordance rate, suggesting that the two kits might elicit different information.
authors.affiliation: Urology I, Azienda Ospedaliera San Giovanni Battista, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zitella
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berruti
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Destefanis
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mengozzi
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torta
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ceruti
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casetta
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rolle
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aimo
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aroasio
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tizzani
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dogliotti
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fontana
mesh_terms: D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D053379:Chromogranin A