Abstract

BACKGROUND: Thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenomas (TSHomas) are a rare cause of hyperthyroidism. Somatostatin analogs have proved to be effective for inhibiting pituitary hormones secretion, working via interactions with somatostatin receptors (SSTRs). Moreover, antiproliferative activity of somatostatin analog is now demonstrated in several studies. In the present study, we determined the relative predominance of SSTR2 and SSTR5 subtypes among the different types of adenomas, especially TSHoma, and investigated the relationship between efficacy of short-term octreotide (OCT) treatment and SSTR expression.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Serum hormone determinations and histological findings in resected tissue resulted in 5 diagnoses: 16 TSHomas, 8 acromegaly, 3 prolactinomas, 3 corticotropinomas, 4 clinically nonfunctioning adenomas (NFPAs), and 4 normal pituitary specimens. IHC was performed on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue in tissue microarrays.

RESULTS: IHC of SSTR subtypes in the different cohorts showed SSTR2 staining intensity scores higher than SSTR5 in TSHoma, acromegaly and prolactinoma, whereas the expression of SSTR5 was stronger than SSTR2 in corticotropinoma and NFPA. SSTR2 and SSTR5 expressions were significantly higher in TSHoma than in other pituitary adenomas. OCT treatment for a median of 8.4 days (range: 3–18 days) and with a total median dose of 1.9 mg (range: 0.9–4.2 mg) showed a significant decrease of thyroid hormone levels (TSH [μIU/ml] in all patients. Patients with low SSTR5 expression presented a significantly higher TSH suppression rate (P values <0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The present data confirm that somatostatin analogs should be considered as a medical alternative to surgical treatment, especially in patients with TSHoma, and short-term response to OCT therapy may be related to the expression of SSTR5.

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