MOLECULAR HETEROGENEITY OF GLUCAGON IN NORMAL SUBJECTS AND IN PATIENTS WITH GLUCAGON-PRODUCING TUMORS

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  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 24  (5) , 359-365
Abstract
The gel filtration profiles of immunoreactive glucagon as measured by region-specific radioimmunoassays were studied in plasma samples from 8 patients with glucagon-producing tumors and in extracts from 5 of these tumors, and compared with profiles in plasma samples from 24 normal subjects, and pancreas extracts from 4 patients without pancreatic tumors. In all extracts a component corresponding in size to the glucagon marker constituted the majority of the immunoreactivity, but small amounts of larger components were found in normal subjects and tumor patients. Plasma samples from both groups contained glucagon-sized and larger components with elution position corresponding to .apprx. 8000 daltons. However, it was impossible to localize the source (pancreatic vs. extrapancreatic) of the latter forms. Thus gel filtration profiles do not distinguish patients with glucagonomas from normal, and are of no greater value than simple radioimmunological plasma concentration determination.