PRODUCTION OF CALCITONIN, ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE, AND BETA-MELANOCYTE-STIMULATING HORMONE IN TUMORS DERIVED FROM AMINE PRECURSOR UPTAKE AND DECARBOXYLATION CELLS

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  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 37  (11) , 4190-4194
Abstract
The tumor production of human calcitonin (CT) was examined by radioimmunoassay, and 50 of 85 (59%) tumor tissues collected at random contained immunoreactive CT. These tumors were grouped as to whether they were derived from the amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation (APUD) series. The group was derived from APUD cells showed appreciable amounts of CT in 30 and 31 (97%) of these tumors or 20 of 21 (95%) when medullary carcinomas of the thyroid were excluded. Of the non-APUD group of tumors only 20 of 54 (37%) contained CT, so that the difference between these 2 groups was highly significant (P < 0.001). Of the tumors with ectopic ACTH-melanocyte-stimulating hormone production, 12 of 14 contained CT. These data indicate that CT is a common product of APUD tumors and tumor production of CT is often associated with that of ACTH and .beta.-melanocyte-stimulating hormone.