title: Immunohistochemical localization of amylin in human pancreas, thyroid, pituitary and their tumors.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate immunohistochemically expression of amylin, a 37 amino acid peptide, cosecreted with insulin by beta cells in pancreatic islets in 12 non-tumorous pancreatic tissues, 22 pancreatic islet tumors, 14 non-tumorous thyroids, 14 medullary carcinomas of the thyroid, 10 non-tumorous pituitaries and 50 pituitary adenomas including 10 amyloid-forming prolactin-cell adenomas using the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. Amylin was expressed in non-tumorous pancreatic islets but not in non-tumorous thyroids and pituitaries. Since amylin plays an important role in amyloid formation in pancreatic islets, those tumor types were selected to study which may produce amyloid. Amylin was widely expressed in one insulin producing beta cell tumor. Few tumor cells were immunopositive in 8 islet-cell tumors and in 5 medullary thyroid carcinomas. Immunostaining was not found in pituitary adenomas, including those which produced amyloid. It can be concluded that amylin is not a satisfactory immunohistochemical marker to identify pancreatic islet tumors, medullary thyroid carcinomas and pituitary adenomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. kovacsk@smh.toronto.on.ca
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rotondo
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Horvath
authors.forename: Kalman
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Bernd W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Scheithauer
authors.forename: Ricardo V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Lloyd
mesh_terms: D000682:Amyloid / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D058228:Islet Amyloid Polypeptide; D007515:Islets of Langerhans; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D058228:Islet Amyloid Polypeptide; D010455:Peptides