Elevated Serum Gastrin Levels in Patients with Colorectal Neoplasia

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Abstract
Astrin stimulates the growth of some human colon lenocarcinomas grown in vitro or as xenografts in nude ice. To evaluate the possibility of elevated plasma strin levels in patients with adenomatous polyps or olorectal cancer, we carried out a radioimmunoassay in objects fasting overnight and undergoing colonoscopy. The study included 190 patients who were divided into free groups: controls (n = 65), those with benign adeomas (n = 63), and those with adenocarcinomas (n = ). The mean values of plasma gastrin in the cancer oup (112.71 16.65 pg/ml) were significantly higher an those of the control group (40.41 1.88 pg/ml) as ell as those of the polyp group. Mean plasma gastrin alues in the polyp group (54.27 5.29 pg/ml) were also significantly higher than those of the control group. In the cancer group, 32 of 62 patients (51.6%) had gastrin levels greater than the control mean + 2 SD, as opposed to only of 63 (15.9%) in the polyp group. The number, size, astologic type, and presence of dysplasia in the polyp coup and the location or Dukes' stage in the cancer oup had no significant influence on gastrin levels in this udy. Preliminary results in cancer patients with eleuated preoperative gastrin levels show a postoperative duction in six of seven patients. The exact cause and role of hypergastrinemia in tumor growth in such patients emains to be determined. Measurements taken both before and after colectomy coupled with a systematic search for specific gastrin receptors would be useful.

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