The influence of treatment with somatostatin analogues on morphology, proliferative and apoptotic activity in GH-secreting pituitary adenomas.
With the aim to investigate histopathological changes and proliferative and apoptotic activity in GH-secreting adenomas we compared 14 cases pre-treated with somatostatin analogues before surgery with a reference group of 17 un-pretreated ones. Besides routine histology, immunocytochemical detection of all pituitary hormones, caspase-3, cytokeratin-18, and "M30 antigen", its apoptosis-specific fragment was performed. Proliferation activity of the tumour was determined by the Ki-67 antigen expression. In treated adenomas more prominent regressive changes were found accompanied by compensatory increase in perivascular fibrosis. The Ki-67 labelling index was lower in treated group (mean 2.5, median 1.6 per mille) than in untreated patients (mean 9.4, median 5.0 per mille). The difference was statistically significant (p=0.049 using Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test). Apoptosis was detected in only 2 of the 14 pre-treated adenomas, and it was more frequent (9/17) and more prominent in the untreated group.
Cap
Jan
J
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Charles University, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. capj@lfhk.cuni.cz
Cerman
Jaroslav
J
Nemecek
Stanislav
S
Marekova
Martina
M
Hana
Vaclav
V
Frysak
Zdenek
Z
D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D002455:Cell Division; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D013004:Somatostatin