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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development
Published on: June 6, 2014
Expression of cholecystokinin-B/gastrin receptors in medullary thyroid cancer
A Amiri-Mosavi1, H Ahlman, L E Tisell
1Department of Pathology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
Objective:
To characterise the cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor subtypes in medullary thyroid cancer by measuring the expression of CCK-A and CCK-B/gastrin receptor mRNA.
Design:
Open study.
Setting:
Teaching hospital, Sweden.
Subjects:
6 patients with medullary thyroid cancer.
Intervention:
Pentagastrin stimulation test and measurement of calcitonin concentration. Biopsy specimens were analysed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Main Outcome Measure:
Presence of CCK-A and CCK-B/gastrin receptors.
Results:
All 6 patients with medullary thyroid cancer had positive pentagastrin tests preoperatively. CCK-B/gastrin receptors but not CCK-A receptors were detected by RT-PCR in all six biopsy specimens. By contrast, no CCK receptors were found in normal thyroid tissues or in other thyroid tumours (follicular adenoma, papillary carcinoma, or anaplastic carcinoma).
Conclusion:
The presence of CCK-B/gastrin receptors in medullary thyroid tumours may have important clinical implications.
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