Diagnostic value of plasma chromogranin A in neuroendocrine tumours

The aim of this study was to assess the value of plasma chromogranin A (CgA), a protein produced by neuroendocrine cells, in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumours. Eighty subjects with neuroendocrine tumours were studied. Thirty-four had carcinoids, 21 nonfunctioning endocrine pancreatic tumours,...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 55 - 58
Main Authors:	TOMASSETTI, Paola, MIGLIORI, Marina, SIMONI, Patrizia, CASADEI, Riccardo, DE LASIO, Rossella, CORINALDESI, Roberto, GULLO, Lucio
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 2001
Subjects:	Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Biological and medical sciences Carcinoid Tumor - blood Chromogranin A Chromogranins - blood Endocrinopathies Female Gastrinoma - blood General aspects. Associated endocrine diseases. Endocrine paraneoplasic syndromes Humans Liver Neoplasms - secondary Male Medical sciences Middle Aged Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 - blood Neuroendocrine Tumors - diagnosis Pancreatic Neoplasms - diagnosis Endocrinopathy Human Chromogranin A Adenoma Carcinoid tumor Gastrinoma Genetic disease Somatostatinoma Secretory tumor Multiple endocrine neoplasia type I Glucagonoma Digestive diseases Benign neoplasm Diagnosis Pancreatic disease
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	The aim of this study was to assess the value of plasma chromogranin A (CgA), a protein produced by neuroendocrine cells, in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumours. Eighty subjects with neuroendocrine tumours were studied. Thirty-four had carcinoids, 21 nonfunctioning endocrine pancreatic tumours, 17 multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1) (six of these also had gastrinomas), and eight had functioning pancreatic tumours (four gastrinomas, two glucagonomas, two somatostatinomas). Twenty-eight healthy subjects were studied as controls. A fasting plasma sample was obtained from each subject, and CgA plasma levels were measured by the ELISA method using a kit (Dako A/S, Denmark). In control subjects, plasma CgA values were below 5 U/l. Among the patients, 20 of the 34 with carcinoid tumours, 12 of the 21 with nonfunctioning pancreatic tumours, nine of the 17 with MEN 1 (including the six with gastrinomas), and the four gastrinomas of the eight functioning pancreatic tumours, i.e. overall, 45 of the 80 patients (56.3%) had abnormally high CgA values (22-961 U/l). Most of the patients with elevated CgA values, except nine of the 10 with gastrinomas, had multiple liver metastasis. The results show that the diagnostic value of plasma CgA in neuroendocrine tumours is relatively low; it may be of some interest only in patients with advanced disease and liver metastasis. Gastrinoma seems to be an exception, because in this tumour high CgA values are generally found even in the absence of liver metastasis.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0954-691X 1473-5687
DOI:	10.1097/00042737-200101000-00010