Published in:
01-10-2017 | Correspondence
A specific antibody to detect transcription factor T-Pit: a reliable marker of corticotroph cell differentiation and a tool to improve the classification of pituitary neuroendocrine tumours
Authors:
Evelina Sjöstedt, Jens Bollerslev, Jan Mulder, Cecilia Lindskog, Fredrik Pontén, Olivera Casar-Borota
Published in:
Acta Neuropathologica
|
Issue 4/2017
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Excerpt
Pituitary adenomas, or pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs) according to a recent proposal [
1], are classified based on expression of the anterior lobe pituitary hormones (ACTH, GH, Prolactin, TSH, FSH, LH and alpha-subunit of the glycoprotein hormones) [
2]. Cell differentiation in the adenohypophysis includes three main lineages, each dependent on specific transcription factors: T-Pit (T-box family member TBX19) regulates the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) lineage giving origin to the corticotrophs; Pit-1 determines the fate of somatotroph, lactotroph and thyrotroph cells, while development of FSH- and LH-producing gonadotrophs is regulated by SF-1 (steroidogenic factor-1) and GATA-2 [
3,
4]. The nuclear expression of the pituitary specific transcription factors T-Pit, Pit-1 and SF-1 is retained in the pituitary tumour cells that are differentiated towards respective pituitary cell lineages and thus serves as a useful complement in the classification of PitNETs [
2]. PitNETs lacking immunolabeling for both adenohypophysial hormones and pituitary transcription factors have been designated as null-cell pituitary adenomas [
2]. However, lack of a specific and sensitive antibody towards T-Pit has rendered the classification of pituitary neuroendocrine tumours based on the expression of pituitary transcription factors insufficient. …