title: Histochemical study of pituitary adenomas with Ki-67 and anti-DNA polymerase alpha monoclonal antibodies, bromodeoxyuridine labeling, and nucleolar organizer region counts.
abstract: The growth potential of 65 pituitary adenomas was determined by histochemical analysis with Ki-67 and anti-DNA polymerase alpha monoclonal antibodies, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUdR) labeling, and counts of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs). The mean proliferating cell indices (PCIs) determined by Ki-67 and anti-DNA polymerase alpha and the BrdUdR labeling index (LI) were generally very low [1.0 +/- 0.2%, 1.1 +/- 0.2%, and 0.5 +/- 0.1% (+/- SE), respectively]. Apart from adrenocorticotropic hormone-positive adenomas, which had significantly higher indices, there were no statistically significant differences in the indices among the other subtypes of pituitary adenomas. Recurrent tumors had higher Ki-67 and DNA polymerase alpha PCIs and BrdUdR LIs (3.6%, 4.2%, 1.4%) than primary tumors (0.8%, 0.8%, 0.3%; P less than 0.005). The number of Ag-NORs did not correlate significantly with any of the three indices. The mean number of Ag-NORs was higher in nonfunctioning adenomas than in functioning adenomas (2.04 vs 1.66, P less than 0.005); among prolactin-positive adenomas, those treated preoperatively with bromocriptine had more Ag-NORs than untreated tumors (1.75 vs 1.57, P less than 0.005). These results suggest that the Ki-67 and DNA polymerase alpha PCIs and the BrdUdR LI predict the growth potential of individual pituitary adenomas, whereas the number of Ag-NORs appears to correlate with hormone production rather than with the proliferative potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoshino
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D004257:DNA Polymerase II / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D016622:Silver Staining; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D004257:DNA Polymerase II; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine