Analysis of alkaline phosphatase

Indications for the purpose of analysis

Chromogranin A (Chromogranin A, CGA) is recommended for primary diagnosis if the patient has symptoms that may be associated with neuroendocrine tumors:

• sensation«tides»- suddenly appearing heat, which spills over the body and causes redness of the face and cleavage area;
• palpitations;
• painful sensations in the left half of the chest;
• spastic abdominal pain;
• nausea and vomiting;
• «causeless»liquid chair;
• feeling of lack of air and difficulty exhaling.

These symptoms are part of the so-called carcinoid syndrome.

Determination of the concentration of the tumor marker chromogranin A is also carried out to monitor the clinical situation. A decrease in the level of this glycoprotein indicates a good response of a neuroendocrine neoplasm to ongoing therapy. A dynamic study after cancer treatment allows you to suspect a possible relapse in a timely manner. 

With dynamic monitoring of the patient, it is extremely important to take tests strictly in the same laboratory. The key reason lies in the lack of unified standardized test systems for conducting these measurements. In other words, the sensitivity and methods of assessing reagents vary from center to center, so the result obtained in one clinic may not be comparable with the figures from another, which will inevitably distort the picture of real changes in the body.

Description of the study

The substrate for the formation of neuroendocrine neoplasias are specialized cells of the APUD system, diffusely scattered in the human body. The greatest concentration of these structures is observed in the bronchopulmonary tract and organs of the gastrointestinal tract. However, such cells are also present in the thymus (thymus), pancreatic parenchyma, gonads (ovaries), prostate gland, as well as in the glandular tissues of the mammary glands, which causes a wide localization of possible tumors.

Both normal and pathological cells of the APUD system are able to secrete true hormones and hormone-like substances. They have biological activity and act at the level of different tissues, which leads to the appearance of specific symptoms. The latter are associated with a change in vascular tone and lumen of the bronchial tree, the activity of intestinal peristalsis, etc.

Chromogranin A is a protein substance that is secreted by cells of the diffusely located neuroendocrine system. It is involved in the formation of hormones and hormone-like compounds. It is important that regardless of whether or not the neoplasm has endocrine activity, the level of chromogranin A, as a rule, increases.