Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide(31-98) is a specific tumor marker in patients with small cell lung carcinoma

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 54; no. 8; pp. 2136 - 2140
• Main Authors: MIYAKE, Y, KODAMA, T, YAMAGUCHI, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 15.04.1994
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Carcinoma, Small Cell - blood; Carcinoma, Small Cell - diagnosis; Chromatography, Gel; Gastrin-Releasing Peptide; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - blood; Lung Neoplasms - diagnosis; Medical sciences; Peptide Fragments - analysis; Peptide Fragments - blood; Peptides - analysis; Peptides - blood; Pneumology; Radioimmunoassay; Recombinant Proteins - analysis; Recombinant Proteins - blood; Reference Values; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum; Human; Biological fluid; Peptides; Respiratory disease; Secretion; Peptide hormone; Tumoral marker; Malignant tumor; Neuropeptide; Prohormone; Bronchopulmonary; Blood; Gastrin releasing peptide; Gastrointestinal hormone; Radioimmunoassay; Serum; Diagnosis; Hormonal investigation; Oat cell carcinoma; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445

Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) is a specific and an actively secreted product of small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cells. Based on this observation, we attempted to develop a new approach for early detection of SCLC and for monitoring therapeutic response in SCLC patients. Recombinant human ProGRP(31-98), a region common to three types of human ProGRP molecules, was synthesized, and a convenient radioimmunoassay system was developed; in this assay, the minimum detectable amount in serum was 10 pM when 0.1 ml of unextracted serum was used. Serum levels of immunoreactive ProGRP(31-98) were measured in 247 normal subjects, 180 patients with nonmalignant pulmonary diseases, 231 patients with non-SCLC, and 140 patients with SCLC. The percentages of subjects with the level greater than 10 pM in normal subjects and patients with nonmalignant pulmonary diseases and with non-SCLC were 1.2, 2.2, and 3.0%, respectively. In contrast, 76% of patients with SCLC had elevated levels; the positive rates in SCLC patients with limited and extensive diseases were 73 and 79%, respectively, indicating that the serum Pro-GRP(31-98) level could serve as a reliable tumor marker in SCLC patients, even at a relatively early stage of this disease. Moreover, changes in the serum ProGRP(31-98) showed excellent correlation with the therapeutic responses in SCLC patients. These results indicate that the determination of serum ProGRP(31-98) levels plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of SCLC patients.