[Non-functioning pituitary adenomas: clinical features and immunohistochemistry].

Area of Science:

• Neuroendocrinology
• Oncology

Background:

• Clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFAs) present with mass effects rather than hormonal hypersecretion.
• Their pathogenesis involves complex interactions of hormones, growth factors, and proliferation markers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine clinical features of 117 NFA patients.
• To identify immunohistochemical markers (hormones, Ki-67, p53, C-erb-B2) and their correlation with tumor size and invasiveness.
• To compare standard immunohistochemistry with tissue micro-array.

Main Methods:

• Clinical data collection from 117 NFA patients.
• Immunohistochemical analysis of 39 cases for pituitary hormones, p53, C-erb-B2, and Ki-67.
• Tissue micro-array construction and analysis for the same markers.

Main Results:

• No significant sex differences in age, tumor size, or surgical procedures.
• Tumor size correlates with the number of surgical procedures and hormonal deficiency.
• No significant correlation between tumor size and positive p53, C-erb-B2, or Ki-67 via standard IHC.
• Tissue micro-array showed a significant negative correlation between p53 positivity and tumor size.

Conclusions:

• NFA behavior is similar in both sexes; larger tumors necessitate more surgeries and cause greater hormonal deficiency.
• Positive p53 immunohistochemistry, particularly via tissue micro-array, shows predictive value for tumor size.
• Ki-67 and C-erb-B2 lack prognostic value in NFAs, contrasting with other neoplasms.