IBYME   02675
INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA Y MEDICINA EXPERIMENTAL
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
VEGF and CD31 association in pituitary adenomas
Autor/es:
CRISTINA,C.; PEREZ-MILLÁN, MI; DULCE,R.A.; SEVLEVER, G.; BERNER, S.I.; BECU VILLALOBOS, DAMASIA
Revista:
ENDOCRINE PATHOLOGY
Editorial:
HUMANA PRESS INC
Referencias:
Año: 2010 vol. 21 p. 154 - 160
ISSN:
1046-3976
Resumen:
Pituitary tumors are usually less vascularized than the normal pituitary,
and the role of angiogenesis in these adenomas is contentious. Appraisal of microvascular
density and expression of the potent angiogenic vascular endothelial growth
factor (VEGF) by immunohistochemistry has yielded controversial results, as a
broad spectrum of immunostaining can be found. We determined the protein
expression of VEGF and CD31, an endothelial marker, in a series of 56 surgically
removed pituitary adenomas using Western blot assay.
Prolactinomas had higher VEGF
protein expression compared to non-functioning or ACTH and GH-secreting
adenomas, while CD31 was similar in the different adenoma histotypes. VEGF and
CD31 were not affected by sex, age, years of adenoma evolution, or
proliferation rate (Ki67 and PCNA) for all adenoma types. Only in
non-functioning adenomas CD31 concentration increased significantly with age. There
was a positive correlation between CD31 and VEGF expression when all adenoma histotypes
were considered, or when prolactinomas and non-functioning adenomas were evaluated
separately.
The positive association of VEGF and CD31
expression suggests the participation of angiogenesis in adenoma development,
while epithelial cell proliferation in pituitary tumors is not directly related
to VEGF or CD31 expression, and other factors, such as primary genetic
alterations may be involved.