[Clinicopathology, clonality, and hormone production profile of prolactinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the hormone production profiles of prolactinoma and to analyze the clonality of prolactinoma.


METHODS
Clinicopathologic factors were studied in 123 patients with prolactinoma, 40 males and 83 females, aged 31.9 +/- 12.2 (16 approximately 65) who underwent resection of tumor in Japan. The specimens were fixed in either 10% neutral buffered formalin or 70% alcohol and used for light microscopy. DNA was extracted from 26 samples of alcohol-fixed tissue from female patients for human androgen receptor gene (HUMARA) assay. The data underwent Spearman rank correlation analysis and nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test.


RESULTS
sixty-one cases (50%) were pure prolactinoma and 62 cases (50%) were plurihormonal prolactinoma. Spearman rank correlation analysis revealed that age was significantly positively correlated with serum prolactin (PRL) level (P = 0.0002), and tumor volume (P < 0.0001); and tumor volume was significantly positively correlated with serum PRL level (P < 0.0001). Multiple regression analysis showed a significant correlation only between tumor volume and serum PRL level (multiple correlation coefficient = 0.622, coefficient of multiple determination = 0.387, t = 7.59, P < 0.0001). Mann-Whitney U test revealed that the invasiveness of tumor was significantly positively correlated with the serum PRL level (P < 0.0001), volume of tumor (P < 0.0001), and the age of patient (P = 0.0003); that the sex of patient was significantly positively correlated with the pre-and post-operative serum PRL levels (both P < 0.0001) and the tumor volume (P < 0.0001); and that male patients had significantly higher PRL levels and larger adenomas(P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001 respectively). The HUMARA assay disclosed that 11 of the 13 plurihormonal prolactinomas (85%) were compatible with monoclonal origin.


CONCLUSIONS
Prolactinoma secrets not only PRL but also other pituitary hormones. Most multihormone producing prolactinomas are monoclonal in origin.
Ma
Wen-bin
WB
Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
Ikeda
Hidetoshi
H
Yoshimoto
Takashi
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015175:Prolactinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D011388:Prolactin