Product Summary
Chromogranin A is a 49 kDa acidic protein that consists of 439 amino acids encoded on chromosome 14. Chromogranin A has been identified in a number of normal and neopastic endocrine tissues. It is demonstrated that an elevated level of circulating chromogranin A is a marker for tumors of neuroendocrine origin. However, the most significant clinical use of chromogranin A is related to the diagnostic procedure in patients with pheochromocytoma. The following is a short summary of the potential usages of chromogranin A.
1. A very sensitive (83%) and highly specific (96%) marker in the evaluation of actual or suspected pheochromocytoma. Drugs commonly employed in the diagnosis or treatment of pheochromocytoma have little effect on the plasma chromogranin A level, which is a great advantage of measuring chromogranin A over catecholamines.
2. To ascertain the source of a tumor. A high chromogranin A level indicates that the tumor arises from neuroendocrine tissues.
3. Endocrine tumors that do not produce their specific hormones, for example, calcitonin negative but chromogranin A positive, C-cell carcinoma; zero-cell carcinoma; beta-cell carcinoma; parathyroid carcinoma.