Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P61278 (somatostatin)
 22,083 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The authors evaluated the presence of somatostatin (SRIF) in the plasma and in the tumor tissue of a total of 22 patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and studied the effect of exogenous SRIF administration on basal and pentagastrin (PG)-stimulated plasma calcitonin (CT) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels. Mean plasma SRIF concentrations were significantly higher than those found in normal controls, with five of 15 patients having plasma SRIF levels above the mean + 2 SD of normal controls. High immunoreactive SRIF concentrations were found in the extract of three tumor tissues but not in one follicular thyroid cancer or in one toxic diffuse goiter. By immunoperoxidase staining seven of 11 (63.6%) primary MTC and five of 13 (38.5%) metastases expressed SRIF antigen in a low number of cells and with a weak degree of staining. As expected, CT was expressed in almost 100% of the cases with positivity in most of the cells and strong degree of staining. Patients with positive SRIF staining in the primary tumor had longer survival than SRIF negative patients. Infusion of synthetic SRIF (11 micrograms/minute/45 minutes) produced a significant reduction of plasma CT (but not CEA) levels in 12 of the 15 patients submitted to this test. Maximal percent decrease of plasma CT ranged from 10.8% to 72.7% of the basal value and was usually observed between 30 and 45 minutes from the beginning of the infusion. When infused together with the injection of PG, SRIF was able to significantly (P less than 0.05) inhibit the PG-induced CT release in five of six patients tested. These results demonstrate the following: SRIF is present in a few cells of many primary MTC and less frequently in their metastases; tentatively, the expression of SRIF antigen in the tumor seems to be associated with longer survival; increased SRIF concentrations are found in the plasma of some patients with metastatic involvement; and treatment with exogenous SRIF reduces the basal and PG-induced CT (but not CEA) release from the tumor.
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PMID:Somatostatin in medullary thyroid cancer. In vitro and in vivo studies. 256 68

A 40-year-old male patient with a 2 years history of recurring hyperthyroidism is presented with clinical hyperthyroidism and diffuse goiter. Despite thyreostatic treatment and surgical thyroid ablation the hyperthyroidism recurred. The patient had laboratory evidence of hyperthyroidism and his serum TSH was persistently and enormously elevated (T4:214 nmol/l, T3:6.9 nmol/l, TSH:218 mIU/l)> Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a pituitary mass of 7 cm in a-p diameter, with supra-, parasellar and sphenoidal extension. The pituitary adenoma was partially resected by transsphenoidal surgery, which failed to result in a substantial decrease in the serum thyrotropin level. Pituitary irradiation and a long-term somatostatin analog octreotide treatment (300-600 micrograms/die) combined with bromocriptine therapy resulted in a significant, but still incomplete suppression of thyrotropin secretion (TSH level about 15 mIU/l) and persisting mild hyperthyroidism. The size of the adenoma was unchanged during the two years of highdose octreotide treatment period. According to our best knowledge this is the first reported case of a thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenoma in Hungary.
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PMID:[Thyroid-stimulating hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma]. 799 Dec 45

TSH-secreting adenomas are rare tumors, representing only 0.5 to 2.5% of pituitary adenomas. Their main clinical characteristics include signs of thyrotoxicosis, diffuse goiter and a compressive syndrome. Biologically, free T4 and T3 serum levels are elevated, contrasting with inadequate serum TSH levels and increased alpha chains. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging shows a pituitary tumor, the main differential diagnosis being resistance to thyroid hormones. Treatment is based on surgery, possibly associated with somatostatin analogs and radiotherapy. Though the long-term evolution of this rare pathology seems to have improved, some clinical situations are still a challenge to treat. We report one such case that was resistant to both stereotactic radiotherapy and somatostatin analogs, but surprisingly improved with cabergoline. We suggest that cabergoline should be considered as an alternative treatment in cases of pituitary adenomas that resist traditional treatments.
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PMID:TSH-secreting adenoma improved with cabergoline. 1848 33