Evaluation of angiogenesis in 77 pituitary adenomas using endoglin as a marker.
Angiogenesis, a fundamental process for the development and growth of a tumor, is less expressive in adenomas than in the normal pituitary tissue. There is controversy about the behavior of angiogenesis as a function of hormonal secretion or other characteristics of pituitary tumors. Endoglin (CD105) is a proliferation-associated antigen on endothelial cells, as well as an endothelial progenitor cell marker. We used the anti-endoglin antibody, a glycoprotein expressed in endothelial cells and conjunctive tissue, as a new marker particularly associated with neovascularization, in order to determine microvascular density (MVD) in pituitary adenomas. There were 77 samples, 31 males and 46 females, carriers of micro- (n = 24) or macroadenomas (n = 53). No significant difference was found in MVD concerning the variables of age, clinical presentation, and immunohistochemical phenotype or tumor size. MVD in males (median 5.4) was significantly higher (P = 0.001) than in females (median 3.0). Cell proliferation, as evaluated by the MIB-1 antibody (a cellular proliferation index [Ki-67 antigen], which is present in all stages of the cellular cycle except for the resting cells), ranged from 0% to 19.58%. No correlation was found between MIB-1 and MVD. It is possible to infer that the lower MVD found in pituitary adenomas in females reflects an inhibitory estrogen action on TGF-beta1, a protein involved in vascular remodeling. Because of its role as a TGF receptor ligand, endoglin proved to be sensitive in detecting this gender difference in pituitary tumor angiogenesis.
Pizarro
Cristina B
CB
Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Oliveira
Miriam C
MC
Pereira-Lima
Julia F S
JF
Leães
Carolina G S
CG
Kramer
Carolina K
CK
Schuch
Tiago
T
Barbosa-Coutinho
Lígia M
LM
Ferreira
Nelson P
NP
D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000906:Antibodies; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D000071063:Endoglin; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D047368:Tumor Burden
D000906:Antibodies; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; C440408:MIB-1 antibody; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface