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Demonstration of pro‐opiomelanocortin mRNA in pituitary adenomas and para‐adenomatous gland in cushing's disease and Nelson's syndrome
Author(s) -
Fehn Marita,
Farquharson Maura A.,
Sautner Doris,
Saeger Wolfgang,
Lüdecke Dieter K.,
McNicol Anne M.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/path.1711690310
Subject(s) - pituitary gland , endocrinology , medicine , cushing's disease , disease , pathology , biology , hormone
Pro‐opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA was demonstrated in pituitary adenomas from 16 patients with Cushing's disease and 10 with Nelson's syndrome. The intensity of signal was significantly greater in Nelson's syndrome than in Cushing's disease and there was a trend towards a greater proportion of positive cells. This probably reflects inhibition of POMC gene expression by the high circulating levels of cortisol in Cushing's disease. In the para‐adenomatous gland, the intensity of signal was variable in cells showing Crooke's hyaline change, ranging from negative to strongly positive, in keeping with the functional heterogeneity of corticotrophs. In one case, junctional corticotrophs were present and these were more intensely stained than anterior lobe corticotrophs in the same gland. This supports the concept that these cells are subject to different regulatory influences from corticotrophs in the anterior lobe. Whether this is related to differences in embryological origins or to local factors is at present unclear.