Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2011) 26 P458

ECE2011 Poster Presentations Thyroid cancer (43 abstracts)

Intraindividual comparison of serum calcitonin levels after calcium versus pentagastrin stimulation

R Hampel 1 , J Laue 1 , Ch Zingler 2 & B Klar 1


1Internal Medicine Clinic II, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Universitiy of Rostock, Rostock, Germany; 2Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.


Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare serum calcitonin levels after calcium versus pentagastrin stimulation in healthy individuals and in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).

Methods: The study enrolled 44 healthy individuals and 27 patients with MTC.

Time of measurement: baseline, 2, 5 and 10 min after injection of:

– Calcium 2.0 mg/kg body mass i.v. (10% Calcium Gluconate, Braun Melsungen AG, Germany). Injection speed 10 ml/min.

– Pentagastrin 0.5 μg/kg body mass i.v. (Pentagastrin Injection BP, Cambridge

Laboratories, Wallsend, UK). Injection speed 10 s.

After calcium stimulation there was a washout period of at least two weeks before the pentagastrin stimulation.

Calcitonin assay: solid phase chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (IMMULITE 2000, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics).

Results: Mean calcitonin levels (pg/ml) in healthy individuals after calcium injection: 1.2/19.5*/16.4*/10.2*. After pentagstrin injection: 1.3/4.5/4.0/2.4 (*P<0.05). Nonresponse rate after calcium stimulation 18.2%, after pentagastrin stimulation 56.7%. Mean peak calcitonin levels in each group were significantly different between men and females (after calcium: 53.7* vs 11.8 / after pentagastrin: 18.3* vs 1.8 (*P<0,05)).

Mean calcitonin levels (pg/ml) in MTC patients after calcium injection: 113/1557/1467/1397. After pentagastrin injection: 114/3549/3252/2053 (n.s.). Mean peak values of calcitonin in each group between men and females were not significantly different.

Conclusions: The calcium stimulation is more sensitive than the pentagastrin stimulation in healthy individuals. In untreated or non-cured MTC patients the calcium stimulation is not inferior the pentagastrin stimulation. Moreover we suppose an earlier detection of MTC recurrence by calcium stimulation than by pentagastrin stimulation.

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