title: Pituitary adenomas and craniopharyngiomas are CDX2 negative neoplasms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have shown an inverse correlation between the expression of CDX2 (also known as CDX3) and tumour grade, stage and lymph node dissemination in colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas. Although less frequent, expression of CDX2 has also been reported in various other epithelial tissues and carcinomas. While many neoplasms have been studied, to date, no data is available on CDX2 expression in craniopharyngiomas. Furthermore, only very few data are available on CDX2 expression in normal pituitary gland tissue and/or pituitary adenomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated CDX2 expression in 28 normal pituitary glands, 75 pituitary adenomas of varying hormonal activity (including 7 invasive adenomas and 7 atypical adenomas) and 23 craniopharyngiomas (17 adamantinous and 6 papillary) in tissue microarrays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas and normal pituitary glands showed expression of CDX2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no evidence for that CDX2 might play a role in tumourigenesis, invasive growth or tumour recurrence of pituitary adenomas or in tumourigenesis of craniopharyngiomas. But, presence of CDX2 expression might be useful in distinguishing intrasellar metastases from primary tumours of the sellar region.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Brain Research, Eberhard-Karls-University, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schittenhelm
authors.forename: Tsambika
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Psaras
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meyermann
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Honegger
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beschorner
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D000071616:CDX2 Transcription Factor; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000071616:CDX2 Transcription Factor; C491270:CDX2 protein, human; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins