Whisky: A New Provocative Test for Calcitonin Secretion

Abstract

Oral whisky is a potent stimulus of calcitonin secretion. Peak increments of immunoreactive calcitonin are observed within 15 min after the ingestion of 50 ml of whisky; the magnitude of the response is similar to that observed during a four-hour calcium infusion. This procedure has several advantages over standard methods of stimulating calcitonin release in patients at risk of developing medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, and this is shown by a study in a large family with familial chromaffinomatosis.

Peroperative studies of s-calcitonin in thyroid and peripheral venous samples from patients with normal C-cells, C-cell hyperplasia, and medullary carcinoma on the thyroid

“…The coefficient of variability for the assay, which is 12%, cannot offer any plausible explanation, nor do we think that the time lapse (1 or 2 months) between the two studies can explain these differences, since S-Ct both increased and decreased. Similar observations have been made previously by others [1,14]. There is no apparent explanation to these discrepant values, but the influence of nervous stimuli cannot be excluded [15].…”

Screening for Familial Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Review

“…Alcohol, pentagastrin and calcium have been used as provocative stimuli (Dymling et al 1976, Telenius-Berg et al 1977, Wells et al 1978b, Emmertsen et al 1980, Verdy et al 1978. The merits of each are still debated (Baylin & Wells 1981).…”

“…The merits of each are still debated (Baylin & Wells 1981). Alcohol (50 ml whisky by mouth) has been claimed to be the most acceptable (Dymling et al 1976) (though perhaps risky if the subject is going to drive), but it may be less reliable, giving an unacceptable number of false-negative results (Emmertsen et al 1980). Pentagastrin (0.5 jug/kg i.v.…”

Meal-related changes in plasma calcitonin levels in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma.

“…It is well known that plasma calcitonin levels rise markedly in response to various stimuli such as calcium, gastrin, glucagon or alcohol in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (Tashjian et al, 1970;Hennessy et al, 1973;Dymling et al, 1976). Since plasma gastrin levels rise after meals in normal subjects (Korman et al, 1971), plasma calcitonin is also expected to rise after meals.…”

“…It is known that plasma calcitonin secretion is stimulated by calcium, gastrin, alcohol and glucagon in patients with this disease (Tashjian et al, 1970;Hennessy et al, 1973;Dymling et al, 1976). Recently, Hillyard et al (1977) reported that basal calcitonin secretion in normal subjects showed a circadian variation, with a peak around midday.…”