This peptide hormone is produced by the thyroid gland and maintains a normal level of calcium, activates the mineral metabolism, preserves the integrity of bone tissues and accelerates their regeneration. The hormone calcitonin, the norm in women of which is given in the article, maintains the condition of bones in case of emergency necessity to the body. In addition, tracking this indicator allows you to detect thyroid cancer and determine the condition of the mammary glands.
Calcitonin is the norm in women
The doctor instructs the patient to undergo this examination for:
- diagnosing thyroid cancer;
- to differentiate the ailments associated with the exchange of calcium;
- definition of producing tumors;
- for the detection of osteoporosis after surgical treatment of medullary carcinoma;
- with frequent fractures and signs of bone disease.
Venous blood is taken for analysis, which is examined in two ways:
- ELISA (enzyme immunoassay);
- IHL (immunochemiluminescent analyzer).
The level of the hormone affects the sex, age of the patient, as well as the applied laboratory method.
Calcitonin in the analysis of blood by the first method has the following limits of the norm:
- for women - not less than 0,07 and not more than 12,97 pg / ml
- for men, the value should be between 0.68 and 32.26 pg / ml.
When applying IHL, such figures are considered normal:
- for men less than 2.46 pg / ml;
- for female representatives, the concentration is not more than 1.46 pg / ml.
As you age, these indicators begin to decrease noticeably, but still it should remain within normal limits. Norma calcitonin in the blood of pregnant women is growing, but after giving birth and feeding returns to a stable level. Also, the high amount of the hormone in newborns does not indicate the presence of pathology.
Calcitonin - abnormalities
This hormone plays the role of an oncomarker, which allows you to accurately diagnose. Exceeding the allowed values indicates:
- thyroid cancer ;
- oncology of the lungs, prostate, breast;
- anemia;
- hyperplasia.
If after removal of tumor formation the level of the hormone remains high, then the cause may be metastases. A sharp jump in the values of calcitonin suggests a relapse.
In addition, the deviation from the norm occurs when the patient has such diseases as:
- thyroiditis;
- pancreatitis;
- problems with kidney and liver;
- pernicious anemia .
Low content of hormone is observed with resection of thyroid gland, as a result of which the number of all hormones produced by this organ decreases. Also, this phenomenon is typical for those suffering from osteoporosis.