Gastro-intestinal polypeptides in patients treated for medullary carcinoma of the thyroid

In 12 patients treated 2 to 58 months previously for medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, basal serum concentrations of calcitonin, gastrin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, glucagon, insulin, and pancreatic polypeptide were measured in search of any correlation between these and the clinical course of the disease. All patients had elevated serum calcitonin levels indicating present disease. One patient had increased serum concentrations of several hormones. Another had achlorhydria and high serum gastrin levels. No relationship between calcitonin and gastro-intestinal polypeptides was found in 11 patients. No correlations were found between serum levels of polypeptides and the occurrence of diarrhoea in 5 patients. It is concluded that gastro-intestinal polypeptides, which are produced by other apudomas, are not secreted in more than normal concentrations under basal conditions, by the majority of patients previously treated for medullary carcinoma of the thyroid.