This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Turner, H. E. Articles by Wass, J. A. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Turner, H. E. Articles by Wass, J. A. H.

Angiogenesis in Pituitary Adenomas and the Normal Pituitary Gland

Departments of Endocrinology (H.E.T., J.A.H.W.) and Neuropathology (Z.N., M.M.E.), Radcliffe Infirmary; Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford (Z.N.); and Departments of Cellular Science (K.C.G.) and Molecular Angiogenesis Group (A.L.H.), Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom OX2 6HE

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Prof. J. A. H. Wass, Department of Endocrinology, Radcliffe Infirmary, Woodstock Road, Oxford, United Kingdom OX2 6HE.

Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth beyond a few millimeters in diameter, and the intratumoral microvessel count that represents a measure of angiogenesis has been correlated with tumor behavior in a variety of different tumor types. To date no systematic study has assessed pituitary tumors of different secretory types, correlating vascular count with tumor size. The vascular densities of pituitary tumors and normal anterior pituitary were therefore assessed by counting vessels labeled using the vascular markers CD31 and ulex europaeus agglutinin I. One hundred and twelve surgically removed pituitary adenomas (30 GH-secreting, 25 prolactinomas, 15 ACTH-secreting, and 42 nonfunctioning tumors) were compared with 13 specimens of normal anterior pituitary gland. The vascular counts in the normal anterior pituitary gland were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those in the tumors using both CD31 and ulex europaeus agglutinin I. In addition, microprolactinomas were significantly less vascular (P < 0.05) than macroprolactinomas, although there was no such difference between vascular densities of microadenomas and macroadenomas producing GH. ACTH-secreting tumors were, like microprolactinomas, of much lower vascular density than the normal pituitary and other secreting and nonsecreting tumor types. In marked contrast to other tumors, pituitary adenomas are less vascular than the normal pituitary gland, suggesting that there may be inhibitors of angiogenesis that play an important role in the behavior of these tumors.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. G. I. Suliman, A. Gurlek, J. V. Byrne, N. Sullivan, G. Thanabalasingham, S. Cudlip, O. Ansorge, and J. A. H. Wass Nonsurgical Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea in Invasive Macroprolactinoma: Incidence, Radiological, and Clinicopathological Features J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2007; 92(10): 3829 - 3835. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S Dubois, S Guyetant, P Menei, P Rodien, F Illouz, B Vielle, and V Rohmer Relevance of Ki-67 and prognostic factors for recurrence/progression of gonadotropic adenomas after first surgery Eur. J. Endocrinol., August 1, 2007; 157(2): 141 - 147. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C. Zatelli, D. Piccin, C. Vignali, F. Tagliati, M. R. Ambrosio, M. Bondanelli, V. Cimino, A. Bianchi, H. A Schmid, M. Scanarini, et al. Pasireotide, a multiple somatostatin receptor subtypes ligand, reduces cell viability in non-functioning pituitary adenomas by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor secretion Endocr. Relat. Cancer, March 1, 2007; 14(1): 91 - 102. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Gurlek, N. Karavitaki, O. Ansorge, and J. A H Wass What are the markers of aggressiveness in prolactinomas? Changes in cell biology, extracellular matrix components, angiogenesis and genetics Eur. J. Endocrinol., February 1, 2007; 156(2): 143 - 153. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Onofri, M. Theodoropoulou, M. Losa, E. Uhl, M. Lange, E. Arzt, G. K Stalla, and U. Renner Localization of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors in normal and adenomatous pituitaries: detection of a non-endothelial function of VEGF in pituitary tumours. J. Endocrinol., October 1, 2006; 191(1): 249 - 261. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N G. de la Torre, I Buley, J A H Wass, and H E Turner Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in thyroid proliferative lesions: relationship to type and tumour behaviour. Endocr. Relat. Cancer, September 1, 2006; 13(3): 931 - 944. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. P. Heaney Pituitary tumour pathogenesis. Br. Med. Bull., January 1, 2006; 75-76: 81 - 97. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S A Borg, K E Kerry, J A Royds, R D Battersby, and T H Jones Correlation of VEGF production with IL1{alpha} and IL6 secretion by human pituitary adenoma cells Eur. J. Endocrinol., February 1, 2005; 152(2): 293 - 300. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Pandey, A. Bannout, and D. L. Wendell The Edpm5 locus prevents the 'angiogenic switch' in an estrogen-induced rat pituitary tumor Carcinogenesis, October 1, 2004; 25(10): 1829 - 1838. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Garcia de la Torre, I. Buley, J. A. H. Wass, D. G. Jackson, and H. E. Turner Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis in Parathyroid Proliferative Lesions J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2004; 89(6): 2890 - 2896. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. E. Turner, A. L. Harris, S. Melmed, and J. A. H. Wass Angiogenesis in Endocrine Tumors Endocr. Rev., October 1, 2003; 24(5): 600 - 632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. P. Bernini, A. Moretti, A. G. Bonadio, M. Menicagli, P. Viacava, A. G. Naccarato, P. Iacconi, P. Miccoli, and A. Salvetti Angiogenesis in Human Normal and Pathologic Adrenal Cortex J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2002; 87(11): 4961 - 4965. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. J. McCabe, K. Boelaert, L. A. Tannahill, A. P. Heaney, A. L. Stratford, J. S. Khaira, S. Hussain, M. C. Sheppard, J. A. Franklyn, and N. J. L. Gittoes Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Its Receptor KDR/Flk-1, and Pituitary Tumor Transforming Gene in Pituitary Tumors J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2002; 87(9): 4238 - 4244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Hlatky, P. Hahnfeldt, and J. Folkman Clinical Application of Antiangiogenic Therapy: Microvessel Density, What It Does and Doesn't Tell Us J Natl Cancer Inst, June 19, 2002; 94(12): 883 - 893. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Vidal, R. V. Lloyd, L. Moya, B. W. Scheithauer, and K. Kovacs Expression and Distribution of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor Flk-1 in the Rat Pituitary J. Histochem. Cytochem., April 1, 2002; 50(4): 533 - 540. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Rak, J. L. Yu, R. S. Kerbel, and B. L. Coomber What Do Oncogenic Mutations Have To Do with Angiogenesis/Vascular Dependence of Tumors? Cancer Res., April 1, 2002; 62(7): 1931 - 1934. [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Ishikawa, A. P. Heaney, R. Yu, G. A. Horwitz, and S. Melmed Human Pituitary Tumor-Transforming Gene Induces Angiogenesis J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., February 1, 2001; 86(2): 867 - 874. [Abstract] [Full Text]