McComb D J, Bayley T A, Horvath E, Kovacs K, Kourides I A
Cancer. 1984 Apr 1;53(7):1538-44. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19840401)53:7<1538::aid-cncr2820530720>3.0.co;2-i.
A well-developed 23-year-old man, complaining of blurred vision but with no endocrine symptoms, was found to have a large pituitary adenoma spreading outside the sella. Endocrine investigations disclosed growth hormone deficiency, hyperprolactinemia (responsive to thyrotropin-releasing hormone), and very high blood alpha-subunit (72 ng/ml) level. Histology showed a chromophobic, slightly acidophilic pituitary adenoma with focal fibrosis and calcification. The immunoperoxidase technique revealed prolactin and alpha-subunit in the cytoplasm of a single-cell type, at the light and electron microscopic level, indicating that monomorphous, plurihormonal adenomas exist in the human pituitary. Immunostaining with antibodies raised against beta-thyroid stimulating hormone, beta-follicle stimulating hormone and alpha-endorphin were observed in scattered cells. Those cells that contained immunoreactive alpha-endorphin did not appear to contain alpha-subunit. The ultrastructural features of adenoma cells showed no resemblance to any known cells in nontumorous or tumorous pituitaries. It can be postulated that adenohypophysial cells, after neoplastic transformation, may have the ability to secrete a number of biochemically unrelated hormones, suggesting that during embryologic development they pass through a common progenitor cell stage, capable of plurihormonal activity.
一名23岁发育良好的男性，主诉视力模糊但无内分泌症状，被发现患有巨大垂体腺瘤，肿瘤已扩散至鞍外。内分泌检查发现生长激素缺乏、高催乳素血症（对促甲状腺激素释放激素有反应）以及血α亚基水平极高（72 ng/ml）。组织学检查显示为嫌色性、轻度嗜酸性垂体腺瘤，伴有局灶性纤维化和钙化。免疫过氧化物酶技术在光镜和电镜水平上均显示，在单一细胞类型的细胞质中有催乳素和α亚基，表明人类垂体中存在单形性、多激素腺瘤。用抗促甲状腺激素β亚基、促卵泡激素β亚基和α内啡肽的抗体进行免疫染色时，在散在细胞中观察到阳性反应。那些含有免疫反应性α内啡肽的细胞似乎不含有α亚基。腺瘤细胞的超微结构特征与非肿瘤性或肿瘤性垂体中的任何已知细胞均无相似之处。可以推测，腺垂体细胞在发生肿瘤转化后，可能具有分泌多种生化性质无关的激素的能力，这表明在胚胎发育过程中，它们经历了一个共同的祖细胞阶段，具有多激素活性。
