MICRORNA: ROLE IN GH-SECRETING PITUITARY ADENOMA PATHOGENESIS

MicroRNA presents small (19–25 nucleotides long) non-coding RNA molecules which regulate gene expression on post-transcriptional level. Numerous studies revealed microRNA’s important role in physiological processes. Moreover, its aberrant expression has been described in many pathological conditions including pituitary tumors. Pituitary adenomas are benign intracranial tumors with various clinical presentations depending on the type of hormone secretion. Prediction of the pituitary adenoma aggressive level and treatment response is challenging due to the lack of reliable clinical predictors or non-invasive biomarkers. MicroRNAs in body fluids could potentially be a minimally invasive biomarker for tumor diagnosis and a predictor of treatment response and prognosis. Some studies reveal that microRNA is specific for a different pituitary adenoma subtypes. In the article, we review existing evidence on microRNA expression in GH-secreting tumors and its possible involvement in pathogenesis of somatotroph tumors.