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Gastrointestinal Hormones in Clinical Disease: Recent Developments
- JOHN H. WALSH, M.D.;
- RONALD K. TOMPKINS, M.D.;
- IAN L. TAYLOR, Ph.D.;
- JUAN LECHAGO, M.D., Ph.D.; and
- JACK HANSKY, M.D.
Abstract
With the advent of radioimmunoassay and immunocytochemical methods, the peptides of the gastrointestinal tract have been identified and measured. Gastrinoma and insulinoma syndromes have been well characterized. The pancreatic cholera syndrome and some of the evidence that the major manifestations of this disease may be mediated by vasoactive intestinal peptide have been re-examined. Pancreatic polypeptide seems to be an ideal peptide for study of vagal-cholinergic mechanisms that regulate hormone release; it also appears to be a tumor marker for several types of pancreatic endocrine tumors, particularly those of pancreatic cholera. Secretin and cholecystokinin are important regulators of pancreatic exocrine secretion and have been used to test pancreatic function, but there is little evidence that they account for clinical disease. Glucagon-secreting tumors produce a clinical syndrome of diabetes mellitus and distinctive skin lesions, which can be cured by tumor resection. Hormone-secreting tumors may provide insight into normal gut physiology.
Article and Author Information
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▸An edited transcription of an Interdepartmental Clinical Case Conference arranged by the Department of Medicine of the UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.
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▸Authors who wish to cite a section of this conference and specifically indicate its author can use this example for the form of reference:
TOMPKINS RK: Pancreatic cholera syndrome, pp. 817-819 in WALSH JH (moderator): Gastrointestinal hormones in clinical disease: recent developments. Ann Intern Med 90:817-828, 1979
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▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to John H. Walsh, M.D.; Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine; Los Angeles, CA 90024.
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- Received December 4, 1978.
- Accepted December 14, 1978.
