OBJECTIVE: The term "null cell" adenoma was first proposed in 1980 to designate pituitary adenomas lacking clinical, biochemical and morphological markers to disclose their cell origin. DESIGN: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of α- and β-gonadotropin subunits in clinically nonfunctioning pituitary tumors, which were initially immunonegative and thus diagnosed as null cell adenomas. For this reason, we reapplied immunohistochemistry using a more sensitive method comprising a tyramide signal amplification technique, combined with a polymer antibody immunohistochemical detection system. RESULTS: With this approach, all these previously negative tumors became positive for α- and β-gonadotropin hormone subunits. CONCLUSIONS: Our results prove that so-called "null cell" adenomas produce α-SU or/and β-FSH or β-LH and therefore are gonadotrph adenomas in origin.
OBJECTIVE: The term "null cell" adenoma was first proposed in 1980 to designate pituitary adenomas lacking clinical, biochemical and morphological markers to disclose their cell origin. DESIGN: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of α- and β-gonadotropin subunits in clinically nonfunctioning pituitary tumors, which were initially immunonegative and thus diagnosed as null cell adenomas. For this reason, we reapplied immunohistochemistry using a more sensitive method comprising a tyramide signal amplification technique, combined with a polymer antibody immunohistochemical detection system. RESULTS: With this approach, all these previously negative tumors became positive for α- and β-gonadotropin hormone subunits. CONCLUSIONS: Our results prove that so-called "null cell" adenomas produce α-SU or/and β-FSH or β-LH and therefore are gonadotrph adenomas in origin.
Authors: Maritza S Mosella; Thais S Sabedot; Tiago C Silva; Tathiane M Malta; Felipe Segato Dezem; Karam P Asmaro; Michael Wells; Abir Mukherjee; Laila M Poisson; James Snyder; Ana C deCarvalho; Tobias Walbert; Todd Aho; Steven Kalkanis; Paula C Elias; Sonir R Antonini; Jack Rock; Houtan Noushmehr; Margaret Castro; Ana Valeria Castro Journal: Neuro Oncol Date: 2021-08-02 Impact factor: 12.300