Ectopic ACTH Production with Autoantibody Formation in a Patient with Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia

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Abstract
A NUMBER of human cancers are associated with ectopic hormone generation.1 2 3 4 5 Ectopic hormone production, which is usually restricted to polypeptide hormones, is secretion by a tissue that does not normally produce that hormone. The tumors frequently associated with this phenomenon are small-cell bronchogenic carcinoma and gastrointestinal tumors. Reports of ectopic hormone production in leukemia and lymphoma are very rare. Hypoglycemia,6 7 8 probably caused by insulin-like activity, and hypercalcemia,9 10 11 12 13 caused by elevated parathyroid hormone levels, have been described in hemoblastosis in some instances. Only calcitonin seems to be elevated more frequently in these tumors, as reported recently.14 , 15 We describe a patient with . . .