Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: KEGG:D06457 (HCG)
 2,659 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Frequency of ectopic hormonal secretions by lung carcinomas is evaluated about 10 percent. Clinical and biological manifestations are less frequently registered than circulating hormonal products which can be considered as evolution markers of the disease. The main secretions and their clinical consequences are described: parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin (CT), growth hormone (GH), antidiuretic hormone (ADH), corticotrophin hormone (ACTH) and gonadotrophins (HCG, LH, FSH). Problems raised by detection of these hormone-like acting products are studied and different hypothesis are suggested as explanation of these secretions.
 ...
PMID:[Endocrine secretions by bronchial tumors]. 21 26

Carcinoma of the bronchus can produce several polypeptide hormones and therefore has the capacity to cause most syndromes of endocrine hyperfunction. All pituitary hormones can be synthesized ectopically; furthermore, the production of hormones from the hypothalamus (CRF), the placenta (HCG, HPL) and the C-cells of the thyroid (calcitonin), as well as parathormone and prostaglandins has been described. The paraneoplastic syndrome may often be more dangerous for the patient than the tumor growth itself, and can lead to early death. On the other hand, it may allow the early detection of an unsuspected tumor. The ectopic hormones and other nonendocrine proteins and peptides can be used as tumor markers, and can demonstrate the effect of treatment and early recurrence or metastases. An ideal tumor marker should have the following characteristics: 1. production exclusively by neoplastic tissue, 2. direct correlation with tumor size, 3. substances common to all tumor types ("large spectrum tumor marker") although specific tumor markers for special tumors should be available, 4. the assays must be easy and automation should be possible. At present no tumor marker satisfies all these conditions. The measurement of several tumor markers and the use of discriminant analysis may extend their diagnostic value and open the way for biochemical detection of cancer in the future.
 ...
PMID:[Ectopic hormone formation and tumor markers in bronchial neoplasms]. 22 36

Many patients with advanced non-thyroid malignancies have elevated plasma immunoreactive calcitonin concentrations. Breast and bronchial carcinomas contain immunoreactive calcitonin and an epidermoid bronchial carcinoma has been shown to produce immunoreactive calcitonin in vitro. We have established monolayer cultures of breast carcinomas and eight out of fifteen consecutive carcinomas released immunoreactive calcitonin; some released HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) or CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen). In addition, a primary human breast carcinoma has been shown to release and contain calcitonin after being passaged in 'nude' mice over 1 year. Chromatography of extracts and culture media of a bronchical carcinoma demonstrated that, in contrast with the other tumours, it secreted a form or forms of calcitonin having size, charge and immunological differences when compared to calcitonin M. Preliminary evaluation of plasma immunoreactive calcitonin estimations in patients with breast carcinoma showed that twenty-three out of twenty-eight patients with metastatic disease had elevated plasma calcitonin concentrations, whereas only one out of thirteen with localized disease had high levels.
 ...
PMID:The ectopic secretion of calcitonin by lung and breast carcinomas. 105 52

Seven adrenal carcinomas and seventeen pheochromocytomas (PHs), two of which were clinically associated with a Cushing's syndrome and one associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia Type II (MEN-II), were investigated immunohistologically with a panel of antibodies against intermediate filament proteins, a proliferation-associated nuclear antigen (Ki-67), neuroendocrine tumor markers, and different hormones on paraffin-embedded tissue sections and, from 19 cases, also on frozen tissue sections. Synaptophysin proved to be the most reliable tumor cell marker on both snap-frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue but, like antibodies against NSE, yielded unspecific stainings in the carcinomas. The two Cushing-associated pheochromocytomas (CaPH) showed the same immunohistological profile as the other PHs, except one chromogranin-negative tumor. Five PHs showed weak reactivity for calcitonin, one for serotonin, and two for a-HCG in small amounts. All PHs lacked other hormone expression, including ACTH. The average growth fraction was small (2.2%) in 13 cases, but 80% of the tumor cells were proliferating in one case of CaPH. Adrenal carcinomas showed only weak or no expression of keratin in one case, a homogenous or droplet, non-filamentous cytoplasmic staining with antibodies against neurofilament in frozen tissue section, and they were completely chromogranin-negative. The average growth fraction was 7.6% in 5 cases.
 ...
PMID:Cushing syndrome-associated pheochromocytoma and adrenal carcinoma. An immunohistological investigation. 162 92

Due to their extreme specificity, monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) have been very useful for new analytical progresses in the field of tumor markers. For example, it has been possible to analyse only calcitonin, independently of its precursors in the patients with medullary thyroid carcinomas. These precursors have been estimated and found increased in the absence of calcitonin for many cancer patients, specially with small cell lung tumors. The assay of HCG and its subunits with a great specificity and sensitivity is an other interesting example of the analytical power of Mabs. The usefulness of the assay of beta subunit is now clear in the diagnostic and follow up of choriocarcinoma and perhaps in the screening of high risk pregnancies. An other example can be derivated of our works on neuropeptide Y (NPY). The assay of NPY is highly difficult, due to its great similarity with other neuropeptides (PYY and PP). Mabs have been used to solve these analytical problems. The assay of NPY is useful not only for patients with neuroendocrine tumors, but also experimentally in the rat hypothalamus for research in nutrition.
 ...
PMID:[Importance of monoclonal antibodies in the analysis of tumor markers]. 174 27

Data on ten variables and 16 biomarkers were obtained on 119 patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary cancer. The prognostic value of 16 biomarkers (alpha-1-antitrypsin [AAT], adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH], alpha-fetoprotein [AFP], carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA], human chorionic gonadotropin [HCG], immune complexes, immunoglobulins, N-terminal peptide of proopiomelanocortin [NTERM], and tumor-associated antibody [TAA]) was tested by adding these to the model of age, gender, stage, morphology, Feinstein's classification of symptoms, Karnofsky scale, leukocyte count, recent weight loss, and liver enzymes. Using Cox's regression method and a forward stepwise procedure, seven biomarkers (ACTH, AAT, AFP, calcitonin, HCG, TAA, and prolactin) entered the model. Elevated levels of cortisol and TAA were associated with longer survival. The selection of biomarkers by stepwise regression needs to be interpreted with caution, especially since the Z scores were found to be dependent on the particular variables included in the model. Furthermore, when dichotomized on maximum of the normal laboratory values, HCG and AFP were infrequently (2%) elevated. The lack of correlation among the biomarkers supports the hypothesis of random derepression of the genome of cancer cells. Further studies in improved modeling and the formulation of a biomarker index could enhance our understanding of the biology of cancer.
 ...
PMID:The use of biomarkers in the prediction of survival in patients with pulmonary carcinoma. 216 76

In order to establish the extent of neuroendocrine differentiation and the occurrence of neurohormonal peptides in the neoplastic cells of prostatic carcinomas, silver-staining and immunocytochemical techniques were used. All gave satisfactory results. The incidence of the neuroendocrine cells seemed to be higher in the fresh "Bouin-fixed" biopsy specimens than in the conventionally "formalin-fixed" specimens from archival paraffin blocks. All carcinomas demonstrated argyrophil cells as an integral element of the tumour. In highly differentiated carcinomas (grade I) these cells were scattered focally, intermingled with non-argyrophil cells in typical adenocarcinomas; their incidence was estimated to be about the same as in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Most of them were immunoreactive with antisera raised against serotonin and/or TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). In moderately and poorly differentiated (grades II-III) carcinomas, however, the argyrophil cells were more numerous and showed greater variation in growth pattern; only occasionally they displayed a typical carcinoid-like structure. Moderately and poorly differentiated carcinomas also showed a greater variation in the number and kinds of peptide immunoreactivities than the highly differentiated carcinomas. In addition to serotonin- and TSH-immunoreactive cells as the most prevalent type, now also human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG-alpha), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), leu-enkephalin, beta-endorphin, somatostatin, glucagon and calcitonin immunoreactive cells could be found within certain tumour areas and often with a distinctly patchy distribution. In two cases, where the tumour cells in the metastases were also investigated, they were found to be both argyrophil and immunoreactive with the same antisera as those of the primary tumour. Our findings emphasise the fact that prostatic carcinomas are more complex and heterogenous than previously thought, exhibiting endocrine differentiation as an integral element of virtually all prostatic adenocarcinomas.
 ...
PMID:Peptide-hormone- and serotonin-immunoreactive tumour cells in carcinoma of the prostate. 244 32

Tumour markers are often circulating tumour-associated indicators of tumour development. As such they are not suitable for tumour screening and localization, but valuable as adjuncts for medical follow-up care of tumour patients, where their serum level alterations may anticipate the clinical detection of tumour behaviour by a lead time of 1 to 6 months before other methods. The following tumour may be controlled by established markers: endocrine tumours by NSE, calcitonin, parathormone, 5-HIAA, catecholamines/metabolites etc.; head-neck tumours: SCC, CEA; thyroid carcinoma: TG, calcitonin; lung cancer: CEA, NSE, SCC; liver cancer: AFP (PLC), CA 19-9 (cholangiocell.), CEA (secondary): biliary tract and pancreatic cancer: CA 19-9; colorectal carcinoma: CEA, CA 19-9; squamous cell carcinoma (ENT, oesophagus, anal): SCC; breast cancer: CEA and CA 15-3; ovarian cancer: CA 125 (epithelial), CA 19-9 (mucinous); germ cell tumours (ovary including trophoblastic tumours/testes): AFP and HCG; prostatic cancer: PAP and PSA; bladder cancer: TPA.
 ...
PMID:[Clinical relevance of tumor markers]. 267 6

Paraneoplastic production and secretion of peptide hormones by numerous malignant tumours is a well-known phenomenon. The incidence of the production of six peptide hormones was evaluated in patients with acute leukaemia. Most often the calcitonin gene-related peptides were found to be elevated in sera at the time of diagnosis. The values evaluated for the hormones were: h-CT 46.7%, CGRP 51%, s-CT 20.7%, PTH 15.7%, beta-HCG 15%, and ACTH 11.6%. A significant coincidence of two or more hormones was not observed. In 83.4% of the patients increased concentrations of at least one of the six hormones were found. Clinical and biochemical parameters showed no influence on the serum levels of these peptides. Analysis of elevated hormone serum levels in subtypes of leukaemia revealed that the calcitonin-related hormones were significantly correlated to more immature forms of leukaemia such as AUL and M1. Synthesis of calcitonin gene-related peptides was also seen in established leukaemic cell lines and in buffy coat cells of untreated patients with acute leukaemia. This investigation provides further evidence that peptide hormone production in leukaemic blasts is a common finding. These results further suggest hormone production to be a universal concommitant of neoplasia. A possible influence of these peptide hormones on the biological behaviour of the malignant cells is discussed.
 ...
PMID:Peptide hormones in patients with acute leukaemia. 283 99

We studied 13 neuroendocrine carcinomas of the larynx. They constituted 59% of the 22 nonepidermoid carcinomas of the larynx seen at Memorial Hospital during a 45-year period, and for which adequate material was available for review. Four tumors were histologically identical to small cell carcinomas of the lung and were classified as small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (SCNC). One case represents one of the original descriptions of the laryngeal SCNC. No SCNC was argyrophil, and of the three studied immunohistochemically, all contained neuron-specific enolase, one carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and one serotonin. Nine tumors were large cell carcinomas (LCNC). Eight LCNC were argyrophil, and all nine contained neuron-specific enolase, six calcitonin, four CEA, one HCG, two serotonin, and two somatostatin. The laryngeal neuroendocrine carcinomas commonly presented in chronic cigarette smokers with mean ages of 63 (SCNC) and 60 (LCNC), were not associated with other endocrine tumors, and proved highly fatal in spite of radical surgery and radiation therapy. At last follow-up only one patient was alive (after 13 months). Patients dying with SCNC survived a mean of 11 months, and those with LCNC, 36 months. To determine whether the laryngeal LCNC most closely resembles pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors, head and neck paragangliomas, or thyroid medullary carcinoma (TMC), they were histologically, histochemically, and immunohistochemically compared with control cases of each group. Overall, LCNC most closely resembles TMC, and given the frequency with which each presents as a neck mass, misinterpretation of one for the other is very possible. Evidence is provided suggesting that some LCNC have also been mistaken for the laryngeal paraganglioma.
 ...
PMID:Neuroendocrine carcinomas of the larynx. A study of two types, one of which mimics thyroid medullary carcinoma. 286 24


1 2 Next >>