OCCURRENCE OF HUMAN PANCREATIC POLYPEPTIDE IN PANCREATIC ENDOCRINE TUMORS - POSSIBLE IMPLICATION IN WATERY DIARRHEA SYNDROME

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  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 85  (3) , 675-684
Abstract
Eighteen endocrine pancreatic tumors were examined for the occurrence of cells producing insulin, glucagon, gastrin, human pancreatic polypeptide (HPP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and A1 cells. More than half of the tumors were mixed, i.e., they contained more than 1 type of hormone producing cell. The clinical symptoms were attributable only to 1 of the hormones produced by the mixed tumors. Three of 4 tumors causing the watery diarrhea syndrome contained VIP and HPP cells. In 1 such tumor there was a strong predominance of HPP cells. The serum HPP levels of this patient were 1000-fold elevated, whereas her VIP levels were within the normal range. Several lines of evidence suggest HPP is a possible agent causing the watery diarrhea syndrome. In many patients, HPP cell hyperplasia was present in the extratumoral pancreas. Such hyperplasia may give rise to the raised serum HPP levels seen in many patients having endocrine pancreatic tumors.