Calcitonin (EP92), RMab

Summary and Explanation

Calcitonin is a 32-amino acid polypeptide hormone that is produced in humans primarily by C-cells located in the thyroid, and in many other animals in the ultimobranchial gland. It acts to reduce blood calcium (Ca2+), opposing the effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH). It has been found in fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Its importance in humans has not been as well established as in other animals.

Immunohistochemical staining with Calcitonin antibody has proven to be an effective way of demonstrating the existence of Calcitonin-producing cells in the thyroid. C-cell Hyperplasia and Medullary Thyroid Carcinomas stain positive for Calcitonin. Studies of Calcitonin have resulted in the identification of a wide spectrum of C-cell proliferative abnormalities.