Colocalization of growth hormone (GH) and glycoprotein subunit alpha in GH-producing pituitary adenomas in acromegalic patients.
Thirty-one consecutive cases of pituitary adenoma in acromegalic patients were studied by immunohistochemistry. All adenomas contained cells immunoreactive with the anti-alpha-subunit of gonadotropic hormones (alpha; 0.6-53% of tumor cells) as well as with anti-growth hormone (GH; 4-74% of tumor cells). In serial section study, most cells immunoreactive with anti-alpha were identical to cells immunoreactive with anti-GH. There was a positive correlation between the percentages of cells immunoreactive for alpha in GH cells [alpha (%)/GH(%)] and those for prolactin (PRL) in immunoreactive tumor cells (PRL(%)/[PRL(%) + GH(%)]) in mixed GH cell-PRL cell adenomas, suggesting that the alpha-subunit may play a role in emergence of PRL cells.
Furuhata
S
S
Department of Pathology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
Kameya
T
T
Tsuruta
T
T
Naritaka
H
H
Toya
S
S
D000172:Acromegaly / Q000378:metabolism*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015292:Glycoprotein Hormones, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D015292:Glycoprotein Hormones, alpha Subunit; D013006:Growth Hormone