Green V L, White M C, Hipkin L J, Jeffreys R V, Foy P M, Atkin S L
Department of Medicine, University of Hull, UK.
Eur J Endocrinol. 1997 Apr;136(4):382-7. doi: 10.1530/eje.0.1360382.
Human anterior pituitary adenomas proliferate and express the p53 tumour suppressor gene protein, but it is not known if apoptosis (programmed cell death) occurs. Therefore, the detection of apoptosis was undertaken in tumorous human anterior pituitary tissue and compared with p53 protein expression, tumour type and tumour size. Apoptosis (detected by the in situ end labelling technique) and p53 suppressor gene protein (detected by DO.1-antibody immunocytochemistry) were determined in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue from 37 human pituitary adenomas (2 macroprolactinomas, 9 somatotrophinomas and 26 non-functioning adenomas). Two normal anterior pituitaries were also included in this study. Pre-operative tumour size was scored 1 to 4 from magnetic resonance imaging radiology. Apoptosis was found in 7 of 29 tumours (24%), 11% of somatotrophinomas and 33% of non-functioning adenomas, although this difference was not significant. The p53 tumour suppressor protein was found in 7 of 31 tumours (23%), 33% of somatotrophinomas and 19% of non-functioning adenomas. Apoptosis and p53 protein expression were not found in normal anterior pituitary. In conclusion, apoptosis occurs in human anterior pituitary adenomas, but no significant association was found between apoptosis and p53 protein expression, tumour type or tumour size.
人类垂体前叶腺瘤会增殖并表达p53肿瘤抑制基因蛋白，但目前尚不清楚是否会发生凋亡（程序性细胞死亡）。因此，本研究对人类垂体前叶肿瘤组织中的凋亡情况进行了检测，并与p53蛋白表达、肿瘤类型及肿瘤大小进行了比较。采用原位末端标记技术检测了37例人类垂体腺瘤（2例大泌乳素瘤、9例生长激素瘤和26例无功能性腺瘤）福尔马林固定石蜡包埋组织中的凋亡情况，同时采用DO.1抗体免疫细胞化学方法检测了p53抑制基因蛋白。本研究还纳入了2例正常垂体前叶组织。根据磁共振成像结果将术前肿瘤大小分为1至4级。29例肿瘤中有7例（24%）发现凋亡，生长激素瘤中凋亡率为11%，无功能性腺瘤中凋亡率为33%，但差异无统计学意义。31例肿瘤中有7例（23%）发现p53肿瘤抑制蛋白，生长激素瘤中p53蛋白表达率为33%，无功能性腺瘤中为19%。正常垂体前叶未发现凋亡及p53蛋白表达。总之，人类垂体前叶腺瘤会发生凋亡，但凋亡与p53蛋白表达、肿瘤类型或肿瘤大小之间未发现显著关联。
