Diamine oxidase activity and gamma-aminobutyric acid formation in medullary carcinoma of the thyroid.

The formation of different metabolites from 14C-putrescine via oxidative deamination has been studied in patients with medullary carcinoma of the thyroid (MCT) and in control subjects. The neoplastic tissue from MCT patients produced in addition to delta 1-pyrroline, large quantities of GABA and some unidentified compound(s), whereas the formation of these metabolites in normal thyroid tissue was almost negligible. Plasma from patients with MCT contained higher diamine oxidase activity than plasma from control subjects, but there was a considerable overlap between the two groups. Determination of the as yet unidentified compound(s) could possibly become a sensitive tool in the diagnosis and follow-up of carcinomas associated with a high diamine oxidase activity.