title: Molecular classification of pituitary adenomas: in search for criteria useful for high-throughput studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The mechanism of pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas is still unknown, and it shows differences in pituitary cells of different origin. The aim of our study was to analyse the gene expression profile of pituitary hormones and their precursor genes: PRL, GH, POMC, TSHb, LHb, FSHb, and CGA by QPCR in particular types of pituitary adenomas, and to evaluate the results in the context of sample selection for microarray studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of the gene expression profile was performed in 84 samples of pituitary adenomas, by real-time quantitative PCR (QPCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  As expected, expression of GH gene was significantly higher in somatotropinomas than in prolactinomas (p < 0.05). For POMC gene we noticed lower expression in all pituitary adenomas, except adrenocorticotropinomas (p < 0.05). In the case of PRL gene, the highest expression was observed; PRL+ adenomas were in third place. LHb and FSHb genes showed the highest expression, respectively, in LH-producing and FSH-producing pituitary adenomas; however, our analysis did not show statistically significant differences between LH-producing and FSH-producing adenomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that GH is a characteristic gene for somatotropinomas. We drew a similar conclusion for POMC gene and adrenocorticotropinomas. However, the results that we obtained for PRL, TSHb, LHb, FSHb, and CGA genes indicate that evaluation of gene expression is not sufficient for classification of particular subtypes of pituitary adenomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Endocrine Oncology; MSC Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch. jzebracka@io.gliwice.pl.
authors.forename: Jadwiga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Żebracka-Gala
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rudnik
authors.forename: Kornelia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hasse-Lazar
authors.forename: Dawid
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Larysz
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jarząb
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krajewska
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bażowski
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jarząb
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000235:genetics*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D059467:Transcriptome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010907:Pituitary Hormones
keywords: QPCR; gene expression; pituitary adenoma