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ABSTRACT: The epithelial marker E-cadherin plays a crucial role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Decreased protein content in somatotroph adenomas has been associated with increased tumor size, invasion, and poor response to somatostatin analog (SA) treatment, but the potential mechanisms of EMT progression in these adenomas are lacking.
We hypothesized that characterization of EMT-related transcripts in somatotroph adenomas could identify novel therapeutic targets in individuals with poor response to SA treatment and provide more knowledge of the mechanism of EMT progression.
Fifty-three patients with acromegaly participated in the study.
We performed microarray analysis of 16 adenomas, eight with high expression and eight with low expression of E-cadherin, in order to identify EMT-related transcripts. Candidate transcripts were further explored in vivo in 53 adenomas and in vitro in a rat pituitary GH-producing cell (GH3) after exploring three models for reducing E-cadherin and inducing a mesenchymal phenotype.
In vivo E-cadherin mRNA expression in tumor tissue is associated negatively with tumor size and invasiveness and positively with GH and IGF-I levels in serum and response to SA treatment. Microarray and subsequent PCR analysis identify several EMT-related genes associated with E-cadherin expression. In vitro, few of these EMT-related genes were regulated by silencing E-cadherin or by TGF-β1 treatment in GH3 cells. In contrast, silencing Esrp1 in GH3 cells regulated many of the EMT-related transcripts.
These results indicate that ESRP1 could be a master regulator of the EMT process in pituitary adenomas causing acromegaly.
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 05/2012; 97(8):E1506-14. · 6.50 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: KIT protein expression and mutational status of KIT gene in different types of tumours have been intensively studied since Imatinib Mesylate, KIT/PDGFRA tyrosine kinase inhibitor became available. However, only one immunohistochemical study on KIT expression in pituitary adenomas has been published. There are currently no reports on mutational status of KIT gene in pituitary adenomas. We have immunohistochemically investigated KIT expression in 252 pituitary adenomas and found cytoplasmic reactivity in 52.4% and membranous reactivity in 8.3% of all adenomas. There was statistically significant difference in KIT expression between clinically non-functioning, growth hormone- and adrenocorticotroph hormone-producing adenomas. The group with membranous expression was dominated by somatotropinomas and clinically non-functioning adenomas. KIT expression in a subset of adenomas was also confirmed by western blot analysis of 48 adenomas. Immunohistochemical KIT expression was correlated with basic clinical data and in a cohort of acromegalic patients with additional data (somatostatin receptor type 2A expression, response to somatostatin analogue treatment and mutational status of gsp oncogene). Exons 9, 11, 13 and 17 of KIT gene were searched for mutations in the tumours with membranous KIT expression and in a minority of tumours with cytoplasmic KIT expression using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and in suspected cases sequencing of one or more exons. No mutations in the examined exons were found. Our results may suggest a role of KIT in the pathogenesis of a subset of pituitary adenomas and point out the need for further research to find out if KIT-reactive adenomas could be sensitive to Imatinib Mesylate.
Archiv für Pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und für Klinische Medicin 01/2012; 460(2):171-81. · 2.49 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Primary, preoperative medical treatment is an option in selected patients with acromegaly, but a subset of patients respond poorly. Valid prediction of response to somatostatin analogues (SA) might thus alter treatment stratification. The aims of this study were to assess whether T2 signal intensity could determine long-term response to first-line SA treatment and to assess clinical and biochemical baseline characteristics, as well as histological subtype in relation to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearances.
In 45 newly diagnosed patients, T2-weighted signal intensity of the tumour was classified into hypo-, iso- or hyperintense. Biochemical and clinical baseline variables for the three groups were compared. In 25 patients primarily treated with long-acting SA for a median of 6 months [interquartile range (IQR):155-180 days], GH and IGF-1 reduction was assessed, and in 34 cases, immunohistochemical granulation pattern was evaluated.
The results showed that 12 (27%) adenomas were hypointense, 15 (33%) isointense and 18 (40%) hyperintense. Median IGF-1 [ratio IGF-1/ULN; (upper limit of normal)] was 3·5 (2·3-4·9), 2·9 (2·6-3·8) and 1·9 (1·3-2·6), respectively (P = 0·006 for difference between groups). Median GH values (μg/l) of a 3- to 5-point profile were 17·5 (6·1-35), 9·3 (6·0-32·5) and 4·1 (1·5-8·3), (P = 0·025). Median IGF-1 reduction (% of baseline) after first-line SA treatment was 51 (49-70), 36 (19-74) and 13 (5-42) (P = 0·03); median reduction in GH (% of baseline) was 86 (72-94), 78 (62-85) and 46 (1-70) (P = 0·02). T2 hyperintensity was associated with sparse granulation pattern on immunohistochemistry.
In patients with acromegaly, T2 signal intensity at diagnosis correlates with histological features and predicts biochemical outcome of first-line SA treatment.
Clinical Endocrinology 11/2011; 77(1):72-8. · 3.17 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Somatotroph adenomas have been classified into densely granulated (DG) and sparsely granulated (SG) tumours with a transitional, intermediate group. Gsp oncogenes are activating mutations in the Gsα subunit gene, found in approximately 40% of somatotroph adenomas.
To explore granulation pattern and presence of gsp oncogene in acromegaly with correlations to clinical and biochemical variables and to the effect of treatment with somatostatin analogues (SA), as well as to describe granulation pattern in adenomas with and without SA pretreatment. DESIGN/SETTINGS/PATIENTS: Seventy-eight patients with active acromegaly were included. Long-term SA efficacy was evaluated in 29 patients treated preoperatively and in ten treated postoperatively. Granulation pattern was examined, as were immunohistochemical analyses for E-cadherin and SSTR2a. Protein levels of E-cadherin and SSTR2a were measured (Western blot). Gsp mutation analysis was available for 74 adenomas.
DG adenomas and the transitional group had higher serum levels of IGF-1 per tumour volume than SG (P = 0·009; P = 0·005). Acute and long-term SA responses were lower in SG (P = 0·001; P = 0·043). No correlation between gsp mutation and granulation was found, and no difference in granulation pattern according to preoperative SA treatment was demonstrated. A significant correlation between granulation and E-cadherin was found, where SG had lowest immunohistochemical expression, substantiated by protein levels, and a highly significant gradient was observed from DG, through the transitional group, to SG.
Densely granulated adenomas were highly responsive to somatostatin analogues in contrast to SG adenomas. The transitional group behaved clinically more like DG adenomas. However, based on E-cadherin, a marker of dedifferentiation, the transitional group seemed to be a true intermediate.
Clinical Endocrinology 07/2011; 76(1):96-102. · 3.17 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Appropriate cell-to-cell adhesion is fundamental for the epithelial phenotype of pituitary cells. Loss of the adhesion protein E-cadherin has been associated with invasiveness, metastasis, and poor prognosis in cancers of epithelial origin. In somatotroph adenomas, a variable and reduced expression of E-cadherin has been demonstrated. In addition, nuclear translocation of E-cadherin was found to correlate with pituitary tumor invasion.
The objective was to examine the protein expression of E-cadherin in somatotroph pituitary adenomas in relation to adenoma size, invasiveness, and somatostatin analog (SMS) efficacy.
Eighty-three patients were included, and 29 were treated preoperatively with SMS. Adenoma E-cadherin protein expression was analyzed by Western blot (61 patients) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) (80 patients) with antibodies directed against both extracellular and intracellular domains (IHC). The acute (direct surgery group) and long-term (preoperatively treated group) SMS responses were evaluated. Baseline tumor volume and invasiveness were measured on magnetic resonance imaging scans.
Membranous E-cadherin was lost in several adenomas. Nine of these were nuclear E-cadherin positive. The E-cadherin protein expression correlated negatively to tumor size and positively to acute SMS response. Low E-cadherin levels (preoperatively treated group only) and loss of membranous E-cadherin correlated to tumor invasiveness. The E-cadherin level correlated positively to tumor reduction after SMS treatment, and adenomas with nuclear E-cadherin staining had lower IGF-I reduction and tumor shrinkage. Preoperatively treated adenomas had reduced E-cadherin protein levels, but the IHC expression was unaltered.
Reduced E-cadherin expression may correlate to a dedifferentiated phenotype in the somatotroph pituitary adenomas.
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 03/2010; 95(5):2334-42. · 6.50 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Excessive GH production by pituitary tumors causes acromegaly. Medical treatment of acromegaly with somatostatin analogs (SMSs), like octreotide, is well established, but the clinical effect is variable. One mechanism for octreotide effect is inhibition of the MAPK signaling pathway after binding to the G protein-coupled somatostatin receptor. Nonphosphorylated Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP) binds to and inhibits Raf1 kinase, and thereby attenuates MAPK signaling, whereas phosphorylated RKIP inhibits G protein receptor internalization and degradation due to inhibition of G protein receptor kinase 2. Objective: Our objective was to study RKIP levels in pituitary somatotroph adenomas, and relate them to clinical characteristics and response to octreotide treatment in patients with acromegaly.
RKIP level was analyzed by Western blot of proteins extracted from somatotroph tumors frozen a short time after surgery in 51 patients with active acromegaly. An acute somatostatin test was performed in 46 of the patients, and in 21 the IGF-I level before and 6 months after SMS treatment was available.
The adenoma RKIP level correlated significantly to both the acute and the long-term octreotide responses on serum levels of GH and IGF-I, respectively. In multiple regression analyses, the RKIP level was a significant determinant for both the GH reduction in the acute test and the IGF-I reduction after approximately 6 months.
The RKIP level in somatotroph adenomas seems to be important for the clinical effect of SMS treatment, in which low levels of RKIP correlate to poor clinical response to SMSs.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 05/2008; 93(4):1211-6. · 6.50 Impact Factor
