title: [Current diagnostic procedure on neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer].
abstract: Chromogranin A (CgA) is considered as a major specific neuroendocrine tumor marker. It belongs to the secretogranin family, which is present in the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, endocrine glands and in a group of endocrine cells such us pancreas and thyroid. Serum levels of CgA could reflect the neuroendocrine activity and could be used when evaluating advance prostate carcinoma. Moreover, there are also several factors that may increase the serum level of CgA: treatment with proton-pump inhibitors or H2-receptor blockers, chronic atrophic gastritis, rheumatoid arthritis, liver and renal failure. Another method to evaluate NE differentiation is scintigraphy with the 111In-labeled somatostatin analogue (DTPA-D-Phe)-octrotide, (Octreoscan). This method takes advantage of the overexpression of type II somatostatin receptors on the cell surface of NE tumors. With this technique the presence of NE differentiation can be detected both at the primary (prostate) and the metastatic sites. A more specific system to detect NE cell activity is obtained by analyzing CgA gene expression in prostate tissue by a semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Ginecologico Ostetriche e Scienze Urologiche, Università di Roma Sapienza, Roma, Italy. sciarra.md@libero.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sciarra
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Innocenzi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravaziol
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Minisola
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfarone
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cattarino
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Panebianco
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Buonocore
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Silverio
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000097:blood*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053379:Chromogranin A; D003287:Contrast Media; D013004:Somatostatin; C081788:pentetreotide