Immunohistochemistry of Transcription Factors NeuroD1, Pit-1 and Pitx-1 in Different Human Pituitary Adenomas
Raspopova O.M., Galkovsky B.E., Mitrofanova L.B.
Federal Almazov North-West Medical Research Center, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Brief summary
we carried out a comparative clinicopathologic study including immunohistochemistry of 39 different pituitary adenomas (7 plurihormonal adenomas, 8 corticotropinomas, 8 mammosomatotropinomas, 3 prolactinomas, 5 gonadotropinomas, 8 null-cell pituitary adenomas) and 9 normal anterior pituitary glands. The average number of cells with expression of transcription factors in all 39 adenomas was significantly different compared to that in the normal anterior pituitary glands (р=0,008 for Pit-1, р=0,028 for Pitx-1 and р=0,006 for NeuroD1). In addition, NeuroD1 expression was significantly higher in all adenomas than in the normal anterior pituitary glands. NeuroD1 expression was observed in more than 70% of cells in all pituitary adenomas, but expression of Pit-1 and Pitx-1 varied from 0 to 100%. After undertaken correlation analysis between the average cell number with expression of transcription factors of 6 anterior pituitary hormones and Ki-67, there have been statistically significant correlations between NeuroD1 and Pit-1 (r=0,43, p<0,05), Pitx-1 and luteinizing hormone (r=0,46, p<0,05), Pitx-1 and follicle-stimulating hormone (r=0,41, p<0,05), Pitx-1 and thyroid-stimulating hormone (r=0,6, p<0,05). There has been a moderate correlation between the average cell number with hormone expression and the level of hormones in blood (r=0,32, p<0,05), and a strong correlation for adrenocorticotropic hormone (r=0,66, p<0,05) individually.
Conclusion: The transcription factors NeuroD1, Pit1 and Pitx1 are expressed in all types of functioning and non-functioning pituitary adenomas, and in the normal anterior pituitary glands as well. It is worth noting that the expression levels of NeuroD1 and Pitx1are significantly higher in adenomas, but the expression level of Pit1 is significantly higher in the normal anterior pituitary gland. In our opinion, NeuroD1 plays a key role in the pathogenesis of all pituitary adenomas. The level of proliferative activity (Ki-67 expression) of tumorous pituicytes does not depend on the level of transcription factors and that of hormones.
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