Increased plasma immunoreactive neuropeptide y concentrations in phaeochromocytoma and chronic renal failure

To investigate the clinical usefulness of radio-immunoassay of neuropeptide Y (NPY), we measured plasma immunoreactive neuropeptide Y (IR-NPY) concentrations in normal subjects (n = 21), essential hypertensive patients (n = 33), patients with phaeochromocytoma (n = 7), patients with chronic renal disease with serum creatinine levels of < 1.9mg/dl (n = 5) and patients with chronic renal failure whose serum creatinine levels were ≥ 1.9 mg/dl (n = 18, eight without haemodialysis and 10 undergoing maintenance haemodialysis), by radio-immunoassay. Plasma IR-NPY concentrations in patients with phaeochromocytoma (577 ± 256 pg/ml, mean ± s.d.) were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than those in normal subjects (151 ± 28 pg/ml), essential hypertensive patients (177 ± 49 pg/ml) and patients with chronic renal disease with serum creatinine levels < 1.9 mg/dl (198 ± 71 pg/ml). Plasma IR-NPY concentrations in patients with chronic renal failure (without haemodialysis: 330 ± 63 pg/ml; undergoing maintenance haemodialysis: 374 ± 80 pg/ml) were also high. These results suggest that NPY is useful as one of the tumour markers of phaeochromocytomas. However, this study revealed that patients with chronic renal failure, without phaeochromocytoma also have increased plasma IR-NPY concentrations.