What does an elevated calcitonin levels indicate?
If too much calcitonin is found in the blood, it may be a sign of a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). High levels may also be a sign of other thyroid diseases that can put you at a higher risk for getting MTC.
What are normal calcitonin levels?
Normal Results A normal value is less than 10 pg/mL. Women and men can have different normal values, with men having higher values. Sometimes, calcitonin in the blood is checked several times after you are given a shot (injection) of a special medicine that stimulates calcitonin production.
What does low levels of calcitonin mean?
Calcitonin levels are normally low. However, a low result does not rule out medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). While most people with sporadic MTC have high calcitonin levels, about 30% of people with familial MTC or MEN 2 have normal levels. An elevated level of calcitonin means that excess amounts are being produced.
Can calcitonin levels fluctuate?
We have, however, observed that calcitonin and CEA fluctuations may be transient. After a rapid decline in calcitonin and/or CEA, with the initiation of treatment, short-term fluctuations are often observed that do not correspond to long-term changes in tumor size, or the long-term trend in tumor markers themselves.
What happens if too much calcitonin is produced?
While the excess calcitonin doesn’t affect your body, MTC can, and frequently does, spread to other tissues (metastasizes), especially lymph nodes. C-cell hyperplasia: This is a benign (noncancerous) condition that causes abnormal growth of C-cells in your thyroid. The enlarged tissue can release excess calcitonin.
Does hyperthyroidism increase calcitonin?
The basal calcitonin levels were increased in both hyperthyroidism (117 +/- 60.1 pg/ml (mean +/- SD): n = 63, P less than 0.001) and hypothyroidism (137 +/- 107 pg/ml, n = 37, P less than 0.001), and significantly increased in MTC 14 765 +/- 25 039 pg/ml, range 390 to 70 400 pg/ml, n = 9, P less than 0.001) compared …
What happens when calcitonin levels are too low?
What happens when calcitonin levels are too low? There doesn’t seem to be any effect on your body as a result of having too little calcitonin. People who have had their thyroid gland removed and have undetectable levels of calcitonin have no negative signs or symptoms related to blood calcium levels.
What organs are affected by calcitonin?
Calcitonin decreases calcium levels by blocking the breakdown of bone calcium and by preventing your kidneys from reabsorbing calcium. In other words, it encourages calcium loss through your kidneys.
Is ACTH a tumor marker?
The ectopically produced polypeptide hormones ACTH, ADH, and calcitonin were investigated as tumor markers in patients with small-cell carcinoma of the lung (SCC).
What hormone is released when calcium levels are too high?
The secretion of both calcitonin and parathyroid hormone is determined by the level of calcium in the blood. When levels of calcium in the blood increase, calcitonin is secreted in higher quantities.
Does TSH affect calcitonin?
It is well known that circulating thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) controls the secretion of 3,3′,5-triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), and calcium ions control the secretion of calcitonin (CT) and parathyroid hormone (PTH).
Does hypothyroidism affect calcitonin?
Primary hypothyroidism is a common cause of hypothyroidism and is characterized by thyroid gland dysfunction due to radioactive ablation, surgical removal, or autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This dysfunction also impacts calcitonin production in the parafollicular C cells.