Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0016382 (flushing)
 6,387 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Serotonin (5-HT) and substance P (SP) were assayed in peripheral blood in patients with known midgut carcinoids and hepatic metastases. All patients had supranormal basal levels of 5-HT and SP. The clinical and hormonal response was evaluated by two provocation tests, pentagastrin (PG) injection or calcium infusion. Pentagastrin caused flushing and gastrointestinal symptoms and elevated levels of circulating 5-HT, but not of SP. Pretreatment with a 5-HT2 receptor blocking agent (ketanserin) alleviated gastrointestinal symptoms but had no influence on either 5-HT release or PG-induced flushing. Calcium infusion induced carcinoid symptoms in only two of six patients, which were associated with elevated 5-HT levels (whereas elevated SP levels were seen in only one patient). We conclude that 5-HT is important for the development of gastrointestinal symptoms but not of flushing. Ketanserin may alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms but does not influence PG-induced release of 5-HT. Substance P and 5-HT do not seem to share a common release mechanism. It appears that PG testing is superior to calcium infusion as a provocative test in patients with the carcinoid syndrome.
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PMID:The pentagastrin test in the diagnosis of the carcinoid syndrome. 241 67

The serotonergic antagonist ketanserin (K) was compared to nifedipine (N) in a five-center international study on hypertensive patients over the age of 50 years. After a 4-week placebo run-in period, patients were randomly assigned to receive for 3 months either ketanserin (40 mg b.i.d. after 2 weeks of 20 mg b.i.d.) or nifedipine (20 mg N retard b.i.d.). After 1 month, monotherapy patients whose blood pressure was not sufficiently reduced received a diuretic in combination therapy. At the end of the active treatment period, patients who had remained on monotherapy received placebo until hypertension returned or for a maximum of 2 months. One hundred and seventeen patients were entered in the study, 58 on K and 59 on N. More patients switched to combination with a diuretic in the K group (14 patients) than in the N group (6 patients). The overall reduction in blood pressure was similar for K and N. Total response rate was high (96%) for the two drugs. Blood pressure was reduced both at peak and trough drug levels. No orthostatic reactions were observed, and no rebound hypertension occurred at discontinuation of therapy. Ketanserin monotherapy slightly decreased heart rate (-1 beats/min). whereas N produced a significant increase (+6 beats/min). Body weight significantly increased with K (+1.1 kg) and was unchanged with N. More patients complained of adverse reactions during N monotherapy (47%) than during K monotherapy (34%). Flushing and leg edema were more frequent with N.
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PMID:Ketanserin versus nifedipine in the treatment of essential hypertension in patients over 50 years old: an international multicenter study. 244 56

Seven patients, four women and three men, with a median age of 64 years (range, 53-74 years) were randomized to treatment with either ketanserin, 40-160 mg daily, or placebo. The study included 13 treatment periods with ketanserin and 13 with placebo. All patients had typical symptoms, with flushing as their main complaint. The diagnosis had been verified histologically. All had elevated excretion of 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid in urine. During the trial ketanserin reduced the number of flushing attacks in five patients (p less than 0.05). Diarrhoea was reduced in two patients. No side effects were observed. Ketanserin seems valuable for the symptomatic relief in the carcinoid syndrome.
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PMID:Ketanserin versus placebo in carcinoid syndrome. A clinical controlled trial. 353 8

The carcinoid syndrome is a rare clinical entity mainly characterized by flushing and diarrhoea. It is due to different biological mediators produced by tumours that arise from enterochromaffin cells. Such tumours are typically located in the ileum, have a long course and become symptomatic only in the presence of overt liver metastases. Among the involved mediators, the role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has been ascertained in the pathogenesis of diarrhoea, while it remains controversial in that of flushing. Ketanserin is a 5HT-2 antagonist with no mixed receptor agonist-antagonist activity. We report the case of a severely distressing carcinoid syndrome fully dominated by ketanserin. The patient was a 75-year-old man, who came to our attention because of marked weight loss, impossibility to feed and almost continuous diarrhoea due to liver colonization of a mid ileum carcinoid tumour, previously resected at the age of 65. Sustained facial and trunk flushing also presented several times daily. Ketanserin, 20 mg twice a day orally, was administered and then increased up to 40 mg daily with no side effects and progressive complete control of both diarrhoea and flushing. It is suggested that ketanserin, due to its availability and tolerability, should first be considered for palliative relief of carcinoid syndrome. The literature on this subject is extensively reviewed.
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PMID:[Symptomatic relief of carcinoid syndrome by ketanserin. A case]. 763 30