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Immunocytochemistry of four mixed pituitary adenomas and intrasellar gangliocytomas associated with different clinical syndromes: Acromegaly, amenorrhea-galactorrhea, Cushing's disease and isolated tumoral syndrome

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Summary

Four tumors consisting of pituitary adenomatous cells (AD) intricated with ganglion cells (GC) were studied. Each case was associated with a different clinical syndrome: acromegaly, amenorrheagalactorrhea, Cushing's disease and isolated tumoral syndrome with no hormonal hypersecretion. (a) In the case with acromegaly, immunoreactive growth hormone (IR-GH) was present in 80% of AD. IR-vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) was found in 5%–10% of AD and in few GC. Rare GC and processes showed IR-GH-releasing hormone (GRH),-somatostatin (SRIH),-gonadotropin-relasing hormone and-adrenocorticotropin-releasing hormone. (b) In the case with amenorrhea-glactorrhea, IR-prolactin (PRL) was seen in 90% of AD. IR-PRL and-VIP were present in rare GC. (c) In the case with Cushing's disease, 60% of AD and very few GC contained IR-adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and β-lipotropin. Rare GC processes contained IR-SRIH. (d) In the case without pituitary hormone hypersecretion, PRL was localized in rare AD and GC. Pituitary hormone and neuropeptides were nerver colocalized in the same cells. No case displayed IR-neurophysins or-thyroliberin. Pituitary hormones were localized by ultrastructural immunogold labeling. These findings show that: (i) in three cases, pituitary hormones (PRL and ACTH), and, in one case, VIP could be localized in both adenomatous and ganglion cells; (ii) the pituitary hormone-containing cells in the tumors could be related to the hypersecretory syndromes; (iii) intratumoral IR-VIP and-GRH might be involved in GH and PRL hypersecretion in the cases with acromegaly and amenorrhea-galactorrhea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM U.223, 105 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, F-75634, Paris Cedex 13, France

    J. Y. Li & F. Peillon

  2. Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, 105 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, F-75634, Paris Cedex 13, France

    O. Racadot, M. Kujas & J. Racadot

  3. Hôpital Foch, 40 Rue Worth, F-92151, Suresnes, France

    M. Kouadri

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  1. J. Y. Li
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  2. O. Racadot
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  3. M. Kujas
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  4. M. Kouadri
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  5. F. Peillon
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  6. J. Racadot
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Supported in part by a grant from the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (Paris) (JYL)

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Li, J.Y., Racadot, O., Kujas, M. et al. Immunocytochemistry of four mixed pituitary adenomas and intrasellar gangliocytomas associated with different clinical syndromes: Acromegaly, amenorrhea-galactorrhea, Cushing's disease and isolated tumoral syndrome. Acta Neuropathol 77, 320–328 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687585

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687585

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