Serum levels of pancreatic polypeptide in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and hyperparthyroidism from families with multiple endocrine adenomatosis type I.

Abstract

Mean fasting levels of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) in 24 patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) and in 12 patients with hyperparathyroidism originating from families with multiple endocrine adenomatosis type I (MEAI-HPT) were significantly higher than in 72 normal controls. The overlap between the 3 groups, however, was large. In patients with ZES, increased PP levels were not related to the presence of MEAI or metastases; nor was there a correlation between serum PP and gastrin concentrations. The post-prandial PP release in 10 ZES patients and in 10 patients with MEAI-HPT was lower than in 9 normal controls. The physiological significance of the present findings is unclear.