Expression of the calcitonin (CT)/calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) gene and the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene has been demonstrated by Northern blot hybridization analysis of RNA extracted from human medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), pheochromocytoma and lung carcinoma.
These results suggest that HNT originating from pulmonary carcinoma is chemically and immunologically similar to that from human pituitary gland and that measurement of plasma IR HNT may indicate the state of secretion and/or metabolism of peptides related to the expression of the pro-opiomelanocortin gene in human pulmonary carcinoma.