title: Mammosomatotropes in human pituitary adenomas as revealed by electron microscopic double gold immunostaining method.
abstract: Hormone production was studied in situ by immunocytochemical methods in 20 pituitary adenomas. Special attention was given to 13 adenomas removed from acromegalic patients. Out of them, 6 had mild to moderate hyperprolactinemia. Immunohistochemistry revealed PRL-containing cells without any close relationship with high PRL serum level in 6 patients. Double immunogold staining revealed mammosomatotrope cells characterized by simultaneous presence of GH and PRL in the same granules in 2 patients. Since mammosomatotropes have never been demonstrated in the normal pituitary, our results probably signify gene dysregulation in pituitary cells of those acromegalic patients.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinologie Clinique et Expérimentale, Université de Liège, Belgique.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beckers
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Courtoy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stevenaert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boniver
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Closset
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Frankenne
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reznik
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hennen
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006046:Gold; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006966:Hyperprolactinemia; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006046:Gold; D011388:Prolactin; D013006:Growth Hormone