Immunohistochemical demonstration of TGF-beta-receptor type II in human pituitary adenomas.
To investigate whether the signalling pathway of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is active in human pituitary tumors, an antibody against TGF-beta-receptor type II (TGF beta-R-II) was prepared to demonstrate immunohistochemically TGF beta-R-II expression in 48 cases of human pituitary adenoma. Positive immunoreactivity for TGF beta-R-II was found in 26 adenomas: 1 of 2 somatotroph cell adenomas, 1 of 9 mammotroph cell adenomas, 0 of 3 mixed somatotroph and mammotroph cell adenomas, 5 of 9 corticotroph cell adenomas, 3 of 3 gonadotroph cell adenomas, 12 of 15 plurihormonal adenomas, and 4 of 7 null cell adenomas. Expression of TGF beta-R-II varied between histological types of adenomas and increased with decreasing grades of differentiation. It is concluded that TGF-beta-mediated signals may be passed via TGF beta-R-II in pituitary tumors.
Fujiwara
K
K
Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Ikeda
H
H
Yoshimoto
T
T
D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002645:Chickens; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II