title: Chromogranin a in physiology and oncology.
abstract: Chromogranin A (CgA) is a hydrophilic acidic one-chain peptide containing 439 amino acids, preceded by NH2-terminal 18-amino-acid signal peptide; the complete pre-chromogranin A molecule thus encompasses 457 amino acids. It is a member of the chromogranin family that comprises several proteins. The CgA gene is a single-copy gene localized in the locus 14q32. Chromogranin A is produced by endocrine and neuroendocrine cells. The largest amount of CgA occurs in chromaffin granules of adrenal medulla and in the dense-core vesicles of sympathetic nerves. Its biological functions have not been completely elucidated, but it is known that it acts as a precursor of many biologically active peptides generated by cleavage at specific sites. It is the major soluble protein co-stored and co-released along with resident catecholamines and polypeptide hormones or cell-specific neurotransmitters. Because of its widespread distribution in neuroendocrine tissue, it can be used both as immunohistochemical marker and serum marker of neuroendocrine tumours. CgA has been used as a rather reliable tumour marker because its level is significantly increased in neuroendocrine tumours and changes of its level reflect the tumour response to therapy or tumour recurrence.
authors: 4th Department of Medicine-Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. Louthan@post.cz
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Louthan
mesh_terms: D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002837:Chromaffin Granules / Q000378:metabolism; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14 / Q000235:genetics; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D018628:Gene Dosage; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053379:Chromogranin A