| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Technical Briefs |
1
Dept. of Endocrinol., Pitié Hospital, and
2
Dept. of Biochem., Pitié School of Medicine, 75013 Paris, France;
3
Div. of Endocrinol., Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905;
a address for correspondence: Endocrine Res. Unit, 5–164 West Joseph, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905: fax 507-255-4828, e-mail heshh{at}mayo.edu
Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is an isomer of the widely
distributed glycolytic enzyme 2-phospho-D-glycerate
hydrolase (EC 4.2.1.11), composed of two subunits, 
and 
. NSE is
localized in neurons and in peripheral and central neuroendocrine cells
["amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation" cells (APUD)]
(1). Tumors arising from APUD cells may contain high
amounts of NSE detectable by both immunostaining of tumor cells and
radioimmunological measurement of extractable enzyme
(2)(3). These tumors include small-cell lung
cancer (4)(5), neuroblastoma (6),
pancreatic islet cell cancer (7), carcinoid tumor
(4)(8), medullary thyroid carcinoma
(9), and pituitary adenomas (10). The aim of
this study was to determine the usefulness of serum measurement of NSE
in patients with functioning and nonfunctioning (NF) pituitary
adenomas.
We studied 36 patients (24 women, 12 men, ages 20–84 years, mean 47 years) with pituitary adenomas. Nineteen tumors secreted prolactin (PRL) and six growth hormone (GH), and 11 were NF adenomas. Control subjects (28) included 9 females and 19 males, ages 12–69 years (mean 36 years) without known pituitary disorders. The procedures followed for the use of these subjects were in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 1983.
Tumor patients were given a complete pituitary function test, including
measurements of serum PRL, GH, corticotropin and (or) cortisol,
thyrotropin, free thyroxine, lutropin, testosterone or estradiol-17ß,
and follitropin. For serum NSE determination, venous blood samples were
drawn without hemolysis from the antecubital vein, and centrifuged
after 30 min. Each serum aliquot was stored frozen at -20 °C until
assayed with a commercial kit (Pharmacia, Saint Quentin en Yvelines,
France). Normal NSE values were 
12.5 µg/L.
Statistical analysis was performed with the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U-test and Spearman rank correlation. A P value <0.05 was considered significant.
The mean (±SD) serum NSE concentration was significantly higher in tumor patients than controls [7.5 ± 2.9 µg/L (range 1.0–16.5 µg/L) vs 5.0 ± 1.5 µg/L (range 2.3–9.9 µg/L) (P <0.001)]. In patients with tumors, serum NSE concentrations were within the reference interval in all but one subject. The mean serum NSE concentration was also significantly higher (P <0.003) in each subgroup of pituitary tumor group when compared with the control group. In patients with PRL, GH, and NF tumors, values were 6.9 ± 2.6 µg/L (range 1.0–12.0 µg/L), 8.1 ± 1.7 µg/L (range 5.7–10.0 µg/L), and 8.3 ± 3.7 µg/L (range 4.5–16.5 µg/L), respectively. Mean serum NSE concentrations were similar among the three subgroups of tumor patients. No significant correlation was found between serum PRL and NSE concentrations in patients with PRL adenoma.
We conclude that serum NSE is not a useful marker of pituitary adenomas and cannot distinguish among PRL, GH, and NF tumors.
Acknowledgments
We are indebted to the nurses of the Department of Endocrinology, Pitié Hospital, Paris, France, for valuable assistance.
References
subunit specific anti-peptide monoclonal antibodies. J Clin Pathol 1993;46:993-996.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
