title: Chromogranin A, a member of neuroendocrine secretory proteins as a selective marker for laboratory diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.
abstract: The function of chromogranin A (CGA) is reviewed, and the radioimmunometric determination of plasma CGA was evaluated as a marker of pheochromocytoma using a comparison of pheochromocytoma patients immediately before surgery (group P, n=25, 635+/-451 ng/ml) with other groups of patients, i.e. pheochromocytoma patients approximately 1 year after removal of tumor (group PP, n=13, 69+/-33 ng/ml), medullary thyroid carcinoma patients (group M, n= 22, 106+/-59 ng/ml), congenital adrenal hyperplasy patients (n=33, 65+/-40 ng/ml), and controls (n=31, 66+/-29 ng/ml). A CGA level above cut off value 130 ng/ml was found in 24 of 25 patients in group P, 1 (relapse) of 13 patients in group PP, and 4 of 22 patients in group M. In the group P we found a significant association between the size of the tumors removed and plasma CGA concentrations (p=0.0016), and also a significant (p=0.0016) relationship between plasma CGA concentrations and PASS score rating the malignity of pheochromocytoma. We can conclude that plasma CGA concentration as determined by radioimmunometric assay (which is simple without the necessity of special laboratory equipment) is an effective marker of pheochromocytoma with association to malignity and tumor mass.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czech Republic. rbilek@endo.cz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bílek
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Šafařík
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ciprová
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vlcek
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lisá
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000097:blood; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009377:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia / Q000097:blood; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053379:Chromogranin A