Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Three-dimensional Alginate-bead Culture of Human Pituitary Adenoma Cells
Published on: February 18, 2016
Expression of p53, Ki-67 and c-erb B2 in growth hormone-and/or prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas
Carlos Henrique A Botelho1, Albino Verçosa de Magalhães, Paulo Andrade de Mello
1Secretaria de Estado da Saúde do Distrito Federal, Brasília, Brazil. carlbotelho@zipmail.com.br
Abstract:
The subcellular events implicated on the formation and behavior of pituitary adenomas are not fully understood. In this study we investigated the presence of p53, Ki-67 and c-erb B2 in 38 pituitary adenomas with immunohistochemical positivity for GH and prolactin (n=26; 68.4%), for prolactin (n=9; 23.7%) and for GH (n=3. 7.8%). The analyses revealed the following results: 24 (63.2%) tumors expressed variable positivity for c-erb B2, 11 (28.9%) expressed p53 positivity and 11 (28.9%) tumors were variably positive for Ki-67. Our results demonstrated a high percentage of GH/prolactin-, prolactin- and GH-secreting tumors with immunohistochemical positivity for c-erb B2. Once this membrane receptor is related to growth factors EGF and TGFalpha and both have a definite effect on tumor growth, our data suggest a possible role for c-erb B2 on the evolution of these tumors.
Related Concept Videos
Abnormal Proliferation
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

