Clinical utility of chromogranin A in SDHx-related paragangliomas

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Samuel Zuber - , Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Author)
  • Robert Wesley - , National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Author)
  • Tamara Prodanov - , Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Author)
  • Graeme Eisenhofer - , Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Department of internal Medicine 3 (Author)
  • Karel Pacak - , Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Author)
  • Vitaly Kantorovich - , University of Connecticut (Author)

Abstract

Background: Measurement of plasma/urinary catecholamine metabolites - especially normetanephrine (NMN) - represents a gold standard in biochemical detection of succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDHB) and D (SDHD)-related pheochromocytomas (PHEO) and paragangliomas (PGL). This study was designed to assess diagnostic utility of chromogranin A (CgA) alone or in combination with NMN in patients with PHEO/PGL related to mutations in SDHB and SDHD. Materials and methods: A retrospective study of SDHB and SDHD NIH patients' cohort, which included 41 patients with SDHB mutation-related PHEO/sPGL and 18 patients with either SDHD or SDHB mutation-related head and neck PGL (HNPGL) with both CgA and NMN measured at the time of diagnosis at NIH. Results: In the SDHB group, CgA showed sensitivity of 73.2% and specificity of 95.9%, while for NMN they were 70.7% and 98.6%, respectively. Elevations in CgA and NMN were complementary in 92.7% of patients with proven tumors. Both tests performed well on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. CgA levels were elevated in 76.9% of SDHB patients and in 80% of patients with metastatic disease and normal NMN levels. CgA values in patients with HNPGL were significantly lower than in patients with PHEO/sPGL. Conclusion: CgA is a valuable complementary biomarker in work-up of SDHB-related PHEO/sPGL. In combination with plasma NMN, CgA further enhances tumor detection by 22.0% with minimal loss in specificity. Although non-specific for PHEO/PGL, CgA may well supplement plasma NMN to facilitate diagnostic evaluation of SDHB-related PHEO/sPGL, especially where the measurement of plasma metanephrines could otherwise be delayed by decreased availability or cost restriction.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)365-371
Number of pages7
JournalEuropean journal of clinical investigation
Volume44
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2014
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 24467715

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Chromogranin a, Metanephrines, Metastatic sDHB, Paraganglioma, Pheochromocytoma, SDHD