Summary
Ten FSH producing pituitary adenomas were studied immunohistochemically. 9 cases were in males, and 7 showed elevated serum FSH levels. Immunohistochemically, all cases showed the presence of α-subunit and FSH-β subunits in many tumour cells. These two subunits were frequently colocalized in the same cells. However, the expression of LH-β subunit was extremely low (1 of 10 cases exhibiting occasional LH-β positive tumour cells), although it has been reported that FSH-β and LH-β subunits are colocalized in the same cells of the normal adult pituitary gland. Immunoelectron microscopically, α-subunits and FSH-β were present in the secretory granules and suggested the co-release of subunits or secretion of combined form of FSH. In 7 cases, TSH-β was positive, and in some cases, TSH-β was colocalized in the same tumour cells which contained α-subunit and FSH-β subunit. A few cases also demonstrated immunoreactivity for PRL and ACTH. Our immunohistochemical studies suggest that FSH adenomas are multihormonal and that there is abnormal gene expression in FSH cells with loss of LH-β appearance and co-expression of TSH-β.
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Osamura, R.Y., Watanabe, K. Immunohistochemical studies of human FSH producing pituitary adenomas. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 413, 61–68 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00844282
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00844282