Blood serum concentrations of gonadotropins and α-subunit in patients with gonadotropinomas in relation to the immunoreactivity of pituitary adenoma.

Introduction: Although active gonadotropin-secreting pituitary adenomas are considered very rare, the vast majority of pituitary tumours diagnosed as "non-functioning" express gonadotropins or their free β or α subunits. However, systemic investigations comparing the serum concentrations of follitropin (FSH), lutropin (LH), and α-subunit (αSU) before surgery with the immunoreactivity of the respective substances in the excised tumours are still lacking.

Material And Methods: Immunostaining of FSH, LH, and αSU was compared in 43 surgically removed gonadotropin - expressing pitu-itary adenomas with serum concentrations of the above-mentioned substances before surgery in the same patients.

"Silent" thyrotropin (TSH) expression in acromegaly and clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas.

Introduction: The pituitary adenomas secreting thyrotropin (TSH) are considered the rarest type of hormonally active pituitary tumour. In spite of that, many cases are described in the literature. On the other hand, the observations of the co-expression of TSH with other pituitary hormones (mostly with growth hormone [GH]) and "silent" expression of TSH in clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas (CNFPA) are rather scarce.

An evaluation of the effects of somatostatin analogue therapy in non-functioning pituitary adenomas in comparison to acromegaly.

Introduction: Non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA) are often diagnosed late as invasive macroadenomas. The surgical resection is usually incomplete and about 50% of patients require additional surgery. Recent data suggest that somatostatin analogues (SSA), so important in the pharmacotherapy of acromegaly, can also be effective in the management of NFPA.

Expression of follicle stimulating hormone receptors in pituitary adenomas - a marker of tumour aggressiveness?

Introduction: In our earlier study, we found that pituitary adenomas, like other human tumours, express ectopically follicle stimulating hormone receptors (FSHR) in intratumoural blood vessels endothelia and/or tumoural cells. The aim of the present paper was to provide more detailed data on FSHR expression in different subtypes of pituitary adenomas and to evaluate its possible role as a prognostic and/ or predictive biomarker in these tumours.

Material And Methods: Forty two pituitary adenomas, surgically removed, were immunostained with antibodies against the pituitary hormones, antigen Ki-67 and 1-190 fragment of FSHR.

Overexpression of prothymosin alpha is related to pituitary adenoma recurrence but not to adenoma invasiveness and proliferation.

Introduction: Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) is a peptide initially considered as a thymic hormone, but further studies have shown its wide distribution in different tissues and organs. It has a prevalent nuclear localisation and is thought to be involved in the control of proliferation and apoptosis. In earlier studies, the overexpression of ProTα was found in several human tumours, including pituitary adenomas.