Immunohistological Studies of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma and C Cell Hyperplasia*

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Abstract
A series of 59 thyroidal C cell neoplasms was studied by immunoperoxidase histology. These neoplasms included human medullary thryoid carcinoma and C cell hyperplasia and rat medullary thryoid carcinoma. In addition to calcitonin, the tumors were studied by immunohistology for the presence of .beta.-endorphin, ACTH and somatostatin. All but one of the neoplasms were positive for calcitonin, 25 of 31 were positive for .beta.-endorphin, 12 of 18 were positive for ACTH and 9 of 19 were positive for somatostatin immunoreactivity. Many tissues contained all 4 peptides, and in some sections these peptide immunoreactivities seemed to be present in the same cells. Apparently there is a relationship in these tumors among the 4 peptides studied, but the basis of this relationship is not clear.