Chromogranin A
Chromogranin A (CgA) is an acidic secretory glycoprotein found in the secretory granules of neuroendocrine cells and neurons, as is a member of the granin family of proteins. It can be used both for immunohistochemical stains and as a serum marker 4.
Immunohistochemistry
Chromogranin A is useful in identifying tissues of neuroendocrine origin, especially neuroendocrine tumors, as well as dysplastic neurons (e.g. in ganglioglioma) 5.
Serum biomarker
Chromogranin A can be used to aid detection and surveillance of neuroendocrine tumors. It can be elevated with:
- pheochromocytoma
- medullary thyroid carcinoma
- enterochromaffin and pancreatic islet cell tumors
- autoimmune chronic atrophic gastritis
- gastrinoma
- multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 1
- carcinoid tumors: especially malignant gastric carcinoid tumors
Serum CgA values can also be used to trend neuroendocrine tumor burden, but caution should be exercised if the patient is being treated with somatostatin analogs, as they may depress CgA levels.
See other tumor markers here.
Related Radiopaedia articles
Histology
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- immunohistochemistry
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histological stains
- alcian blue stain
- azan stain
- Giemsa stain
- Gram stain
- hematoxylin and eosin stain (H&E)
- immunoperoxidase staining
- Luxol fast blue stain
- Masson's trichrome stain
- methylene blue
- Nissl stain
- oil red O stain
- osmium stain
- Papanicolaou stain
- periodic acid-Schiff reaction (PAS)
- Prussian blue stain
- reticulin stain
- silver stain
- Sudan stains
- toluidine blue stain
- van Gieson stain
- Ziehl-Neelsen stain
- regions
- specific features and structures
- blood brain barrier
- glymphatic pathway
Biochemistry
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- proteins
- tumor markers
- serum
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chemical elements
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- essential bulk elements
- essential trace elements
- non-essential elements
- alkaline earth metals
- halogens
- heavy metals
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