eISSN: 1509-572x
ISSN: 1641-4640
Folia Neuropathologica
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4/2020
vol. 58
 
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abstract:
Original paper

MGMT expression in pituitary corticotroph adenomas and its relationship to clinical, pathological, and ultrastructural parameters in patients with Cushing’s disease

Przemysław Witek
1
,
Maria Maksymowicz
2
,
Katarzyna Szamotulska
3
,
Agata Piaścik
2
,
Agnieszka Wojciechowska-Luźniak
1
,
Aleksandra Stasiewicz
1
,
Joanna Witek
4
,
Grzegorz Zieliński
5

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, Mazovian Bródno Hospital, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
  2. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Diagnostics, Maria Curie-Skłodowska National Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
  3. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland
  4. Outpatient Clinic, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland
  5. Department of Neurosurgery, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
Folia Neuropathol 2020; 58 (4): 357-364
Online publish date: 2021/01/11
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Introduction
Transsphenoidal surgery is the treatment of choice in Cushing’s disease (CD), although even late recurrences occur in some patients. Low expression of O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) has been linked to a high risk of relapse in pituitary tumours, but the evidence for corticotroph adenomas is limited. Therefore, we investigated whether MGMT expression was associated with CD remission or clinicopathological markers of tumour aggressiveness among patients with corticotroph adenomas.

Material and methods
We included 72 consecutive patients (83% female, mean age ±SD: 44.15 ±15.15 years) with CD, who underwent transsphenoidal adenomectomy between 2012 and 2018. The invasiveness of corticotroph tumours was assessed based on the Knosp scale. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyse MGMT expression as well as the proliferation markers (Ki-67, p53, mitotic index). Electron microscopy was used to categorise tumours into densely or sparsely granulated. Early biochemical remission was evaluated in all patients 6 months after pituitary surgery.

Results
Early remission was observed in 47 (65%) patients 6 months after surgery. MGMT expression was > 75% in half of all tumours, < 25% in 14 tumours, and 25-50% or 50-75% in 11 tumours. Lower MGMT expression was associated with a larger tumour diameter (p = 0.001), higher adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration (p = 0.002), higher p53 expression (p = 0.026), and higher frequency of sparsely granulated corticotroph adenomas (p = 0.009). Low MGMT expression was significantly related to lower frequency of early clinical remission (p = 0.005).

Conclusions
MGMT predicted the outcomes of transsphenoidal surgery for CD. Pituitary corticotroph adenomas with low MGMT expression may be associated with increased invasiveness and poorer prognosis.

keywords:

Cushing’s disease, cortisol, MGMT, transsphenoidal surgery, temozolomide

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