title: Expression of members of the interleukin-6 family of cytokines and their receptors in human pituitary and pituitary adenomas.
abstract: There is increasing evidence for the role of members of the Interleukin (IL)-6 family in pituitary function, particularly in the regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, there is only a limited amount of data available on the expression in human normal and tumorous pituitary tissue. In this study we investigated the expression of members of the IL-6 family of cytokines and their receptors in normal human pituitaries as well as pituitary adenomas using the RT-PCR technique. Eighteen pituitary adenoma biopsies removed in transsphenoidal surgery (six corticotrophic adenomas, four nonfunctioning adenomas, four somatotrophinomas, four prolactinomas) and six normal anterior pituitaries were examined for the expression of IL-6 receptor (-R), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), LIF-R, IL-11, IL-11-R, oncostatin M (OSM), OSM-R, ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), CNTF-R and cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1). All pituitaries and pituitary adenomas expressed OSM transcripts, whereas no expression of CT-1 was found. The expression of all other cytokines (LIF, IL-11, CNTF) and receptors (IL-6-R, LIF-R, IL-11-R, OSM-R, CNTF-R) was found in different patterns in the adenoma subtypes and normal pituitaries. However, we did not detect expression of LIF-, IL-11-, IL-6-R and CNTF-R in prolactinomas, of CNTF in normal pituitaries and of OSM-R in ACTH-secreting adenomas. In conclusion, our study provides further evidence for a role of the members of the IL-6 family of cytokines in pituitary function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hanisch
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Dieterich
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dietzmann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lüdecke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buchfelder
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fahlbusch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lehnert
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics*; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D053683:Oncostatin M; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000276:immunology*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020801:Receptor, Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000235:genetics; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics; D053677:Receptors, Oncostatin M; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D016207:Cytokines; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; C507837:LIF protein, human; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008222:Lymphokines; C508351:OSM protein, human; D010455:Peptides; D020801:Receptor, Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D053677:Receptors, Oncostatin M; D053683:Oncostatin M