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Plasma GRP-like immunoreactivity in healthy and diseased subjects
Y Haraguchi1, A Sakamoto, T Yoshida
1First Department of Internal Medicine, Miyazaki Medical College, Japan.
Gastroenterologia Japonica
|June 1, 1988
Summary
Plasma gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) levels were measured in healthy individuals and patients with various diseases. Chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis showed significantly elevated GRP levels compared to healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Clinical Chemistry
- Neuropeptide Research
Background:
- Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) is a neuropeptide with various physiological roles.
- Measuring plasma GRP-like immunoreactivity (GLI) can provide insights into its systemic levels.
- Understanding GRP levels in different disease states is crucial for potential diagnostic or prognostic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify plasma GRP-like immunoreactivity (GLI) in healthy subjects and patients with specific diseases.
- To investigate the correlation between plasma GLI and age.
- To assess the relationship between plasma GLI and serum gastrin levels postprandially.
- To compare plasma GLI levels across different pathological conditions.
Main Methods:
- Radioimmunoassay (RIA) was employed to measure neuromedin C (NMC) as a proxy for GRP-like immunoreactivity.
- Plasma samples were collected from 83 healthy individuals and 58 patients with various diseases.
- Fasting and postprandial plasma samples were analyzed.
- Statistical comparisons were made between different subject groups.
Main Results:
- Healthy individuals had a mean fasting plasma GLI of 2.1 +/- 1.4 pmol/L.
- A slight positive correlation was observed between plasma GLI and aging.
- Postprandial GRP-like immunoreactivity did not respond to elevated serum gastrin levels.
- Patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis exhibited significantly higher plasma GLI (7.1 +/- 2.1 pmol/L, p < 0.01) compared to healthy controls.
- No significant differences in plasma GLI were found between healthy controls and patients with peptic ulcer, liver cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, or carcinomas, though some cancer patients showed elevated GLI.
Conclusions:
- Plasma GRP-like immunoreactivity is measurable and shows variations in different physiological and pathological states.
- Chronic renal failure on hemodialysis is associated with significantly elevated plasma GRP levels.
- The relationship between GRP and gastrin appears complex and may not be directly correlated postprandially in healthy individuals.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the role of elevated GRP in chronic renal failure and other conditions.