Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization detection of growth-hormone-producing cells in human thymoma.

We have studied 25 thymomas by both immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization for the presence of growth hormone (GH)-producing cells. Our results indicate that 1) GH-immunoreactive cells were present in 13 of 17 thymomas of cortical and predominantly cortical type but not in medullary (spindled) thymomas (n = 3) or low- to high-grade thymic carcinomas (n = 5), 2) GH-positive cells were mainly located at the periphery of the neoplastic lobules, at the periphery of the perivascular spaces and in the areas of medullary differentiation, 3) cells containing GH mRNA appeared at locations similar to those of GH-immunoreactive cells, and 4) GH-immunoreactive material was present only in the epithelial cell component as revealed by immunoelectron microscopy. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates the occurrence of GH-producing cells in noncarcinoid thymic tumors. The relevance of GH in thymoma cell biology requires additional investigations.