Predicting recurrence of nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas.
BACKGROUND
Nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas are commonly diagnosed as large tumors. Most are detected incidentally during imaging studies or as a result of neurological manifestations. Depending on severity, most patients with large tumors require surgery and adjunctive therapies because of the high rate of tumor recurrence. The ability to predict the recurrence of a tumor at the time of the initial surgery would be helpful in deciding whether adjunctive therapy is necessary and decreasing morbidity. We investigated the use of several cellular markers for predicting the recurrence of nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas.


OBJECTIVE
A tissue array block was made using tissue from 35 cases of nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (16 cases with early recurrence <or=4 yr after surgery, 10 cases with late recurrence >4 yr after surgery, and nine cases without recurrence). Levels of tumor tissue cellular markers associated with cell proliferation or apoptosis were analyzed, and immunohistochemical study of cellular markers was conducted using sectioned slides from the tissue array block.


RESULTS
High Ki-67 and TUNEL labeling indexes were associated with recurrent nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. Tumors with a high level of expression of phospho-Akt, phospho-p44/42 MAPK, and PTTG1 were associated with early recurrence. However, high levels of expression of phospho-CREB and ZAC1 were inversely associated with recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
Tumors with high levels of expression of phospho-Akt and phospho-p44/42 MAPK and low levels of expression of phospho-CREB and ZAC1 should be followed closely and may require adjunctive therapy to prevent tumor recurrence.
Noh
Tae-Woong
TW
Pituitary Tumor Clinic and Institute of Endocrinology, Yonsei Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 120-752 Seoul, Korea.
Jeong
Hyeong Jae
HJ
Lee
Mi-Kyung
MK
Kim
Tai Seung
TS
Kim
Sun Ho
SH
Lee
Eun Jig
EJ
D000236:Adenoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult