Immunohistochemical studies on human pituitary gland and adenomas

To study coexpression patterns in normal and adenomatous pituitaries, frozen (n = 4) and paraffin-embedded (n = 10), normal human glands and 34 pituitary adenomas were investigated, using immunoperoxidase and double-labeling immunofluorescence methods. Broad range monoclonal antibodies (mAB) against cytokeratins (CK) (lu-5, A45-B/B3, AE1/3, CAM 5.2) as well as anti-CK18 (DC10) and anti CK19 (A53-B/A2) were compared with mAB's against vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), epithelial sialomucin (ESM 140 C1), GFAP (GF-2), neurofilament (2F11), Leu-7 (HNK-1) and polyclonal AB's against pituitary hormones (ACTH, FSH, LH, TSH, GH, PRL). CK and vimentin coexpressing endocrine cells, mainly of the ACTH type, were observed in the pars intermedia in 5 of 14 normal pituitaries. All hormone producing cells expressed CK. The mAB A53-B/A2 (CK19) stained selectively the folliculo-stellate cells in frozen and paraffin sections. EMA, sialomucin and Leu-7 antigen localized to different structures of normal pituitaries. 25 of 34 pituitary adenomas exhibited CK positive tumor cells. Coexpression of vimentin or neurofilament protein was rare (2 cases of each). 9 CK negative adenomas were also negative for other intermediate filament proteins. 6 hormone producing adenomas showed unusual positivity for CK19. Whereas EMA and sialomucin reactivity disappeared in adenoma tissues, an enhanced Leu-7 antigen expression in the GH and prolactin adenoma group was noted. The heterogeneity of antigen expression seen in normal and neoplastic pituitary cells calls for further functional studies and usage of a broad range of mAB's against intermediate filaments in immunohistochemical studies of the pituitary.