If the hormone pro grp is elevated, would gastrin also be elevated. i am trying to get measure of my pro grp levels but can only find gastrin tests?

Elevated Gastrin: Yes both would be elevated. however in the daily practice only plasma gastrin in plasma is measures. Pro-GRP is a test for research purposes, this is the same as gastrin receptors. The implication of elevated gastrin is very important as is usually is associated to tumors secreting gastrin. The gastrin blood test measures the amount of the hormone gastrin in blood. Gastrin is the main hormone that controls the release of acid in your stomach. When there is food in the stomach, gastrin is released into the blood. As the acid level rises in your stomach and intestines, your body normally makes less gastrin. Your doctor may order this test if you have signs or symptoms of a problem linked to an abnormal amount of gastrin. This includes peptic ulcer disease. Normal values are generally less than 100 pg/mL.Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test result. Too much gastrin causes severe peptic ulcer disease. A higher than normal level may also be due to: • Chronic kidney disease • Long-term gastritis • Over-activity of the gastrin-producing cells in the stomach (G-cell hyperplasia) • Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach • Use of antacids or medicines to treat heartburn • Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, a gastrin-producing tumor that may develop in the stomach or pancreas Gastrinomas represent the most common functioning tumors in MEN 1 patients. Nearly one-third of patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome are MEN 1 kindred members and more than 50% of MEN 1 patients have hypergastrinemia. Dr Thompson explains: “Although medical therapy with proton pump inhibitors is effective for managing the hormonal sequelae of gastrin excess, it does nothing to prevent malignant transformation or progression, or both. More than 90% of gastrinomas in MEN 1 patients are duodenal in origin. The surgical approach involves a distal pancreatectomy, lymphadenectomy, enucleation of residual tumors in the head of the pancreas, and an exploratory duodenotomy to excise all visible and palpable duodenal carcinoid tumors.” A measurement The gastrin test is primarily ordered to help detect excess production of gastrin and gastric acid. It is ordered to help diagnose gastrin-producing tumors called gastrinomas, Zollinger-Ellison (ZE) syndrome, and hyperplasia of G-cells, specialized cells in the stomach that produce gastrin. It may be ordered if a person has abdominal pain, diarrhea, and recurrent peptic ulcers. A gastrin test may also be ordered to monitor for recurrence following the surgical removal of a gastrinoma. A gastrin stimulation test may be used to provide additional information if the initial gastrin test result is moderately but not significantly elevated and the doctor suspects that a person's symptoms are due to a gastrinoma. This procedure involves collecting a baseline gastrin sample, giving the patient a chemical (typically the hormone secretin) to stimulate gastrin production, and then collecting additional blood samples at timed intervals for gastrin testing. of gastric acid pH level may sometimes be ordered along with or following a gastrin test to help diagnose ZE syndrome. What does the test result mean? Low or normal concentrations of gastrin are not typically of concern. Moderately increased levels may be seen with a variety of conditions such as ZE syndrome, G-cell hyperplasia, atrophic gastritis, pernicious anemia, a pyloric obstruction (blockage at the junction of the stomach and duodenum), and chronic kidney failure. Greatly increased levels of gastrin in symptomatic individuals and concentrations of gastrin that increase significantly during a gastrin stimulation test indicate the likelihood that a person has ZE syndrome and one or more gastrinomas. Imaging tests may be ordered as a follow up to high gastrin concentrations to locate the gastrinoma(s). The quantity of gastrin produced is not related to either the tumor size or to the number of tumors. Even tiny tumors can produce large amounts of gastrin. Gastrin levels that were initially low after the surgical removal of a gastrinoma and then increase may signal a recurrence of the tumor. Concentrations that do not decrease after treatment may indicate that the treatment has not been fully effective. Is there anything else I should know? Gastrinomas can affect anyone, but people who have an inherited condition called MEN-1 (Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia, type 1) are at an increased risk. These people have genetic alterations that increase their lifetime risk of developing tumors in their pancreas or in another of their endocrine glands. It is important to note that most stomach ulcers are not due to gastrinomas. They are commonly associated with Helicobacter pylori infections and sometimes with the use of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen. Gastrin levels commonly increase with age and with prolonged use of medications such as antacids and proton pump inhibitors that neutralize or inhibit the production of stomach acid. They will also typically be elevated in people who are not fasting. Increases in gastrin concentration with age may reflect a general decrease in the ability to produce stomach acid. Gastrin blood levels follow a circadian rhythm. This means that they will be at their lowest between about 3 to 7 AM. Concentrations will be higher during the day and will fluctuate in response to meals.