Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2026
Detection and Quantification of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) in Human Plasma Using a Modified Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Published on: June 16, 2023
Evaluation of circulating calcitonin: analytical aspects
Antonia Martinetti1, Ettore Seregni, Leonardo Ferrari
1Nuclear Medicine Division, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy.
Background And Aim:
Calcitonin (hCT) is a useful serum marker for the diagnosis and monitoring of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). However, hCT values provided by different methods may differ, leading to difficulties in the interpretation of hCT results. In this study we compared four immunoradiometric (IRMA) and radioimmunometric (RIA) assays for hCT determination.
Material And Methods:
hCT was measured in 35 patients by means of the following commercially available IRMA or RIA kits: CT US (Biosource), IRMA hCT (Schering-CIS bio international), ultra-sensitive calcitonin (DSL), and calcitonin assay (Scantibodies). A comparison of the distribution of the hCT values measured by the tested IRMA-RIAs and a correlation analysis were performed.
Results:
The hCT values were widely dispersed and the classification of the patients according to the hCT cutoff value varied depending on the assay used.
Conclusion:
Despite efforts to develop new, highly specific antibodies, the evaluation of this marker is still flawed by analytical inaccuracy. hCT values are widely dispersed depending on the method used for marker measurement; as a consequence, patient classification according to the hCT cutoff value is still dependent on the assay used.
Related Concept Videos
00:51Synthesis and Functions of Calcitonin
The exact mechanisms by which calcitonin operates in calcium homeostasis remain elusive, but its significance is evident in several vital...
01:17Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
01:21Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
00:59The Parathyroid Glands
Oxyphil cells, whose functions remain elusive, emerge during late puberty, adding a layer of complexity to the parathyroid gland's intricacies. In contrast, principal parathyroid cells undertake a vital role by producing...