SALMON AND HUMAN CALCITONIN-LIKE PEPTIDES IN MAN

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Abstract
Calcitonin-like peptides have been identified in the serum of normal subjects and of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) patients. Using specific homologous radioimmunoassays (RIA) in combination with reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography and gel permeation chromatography under denaturing conditions, major components were recognized which coeluted with human calcitonin-(1-32), PDN-21, a carboxyl-terminal flanking peptide derived from the calcitonin mRNA sequence, and salmon calcitonin-(1-32). An additional 12,000 MW peak possibly represents a human calcitonin-PDN-21 polyprotein. In both the human calcitonin-(1-32) (normal value < 0.043 ngeq/ml; MTC 140 .+-. 80 ngeq/ml, mean value .+-. SEM [standard error of the mean]) and the PDN-21 (normal value < 0.050 ngeq/ml; MTC 33.6 .+-. 16.5 ngeq/ml) RIA, serum levels were increased in MTC patients. Circulating levels of the salmon calcitonin-like peptide were indistinguishable between normal subjects (0.038 .+-. 0.006 ngeq/ml) and MTC patients (0.037 .+-. 0.011 ngeq/ml).