Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Senile amyloidoses of the pituitary and adrenal glands

Morphological and statistical investigations

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Virchows Archiv Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The pituitary and adrenal glands are a functional endocrine unit affected by local or organ-limited senile amyloid syndromes. These occur as interstitial (pituitary only) or intracellular (pituitary and adrenal) varieties. The pituitary and right adrenal glands of each of 108 consecutive autopsy cases of individuals aged 85 years and over were investigated for the prevalence, distribution and immunostaining characteristics of local amyloid. Intracellular amyloid was detected in 77 (71%) pituitaries and 73 (68%) adrenals. Interstitial amyloid was found in 86 pituitaries (80%). Immunohistochemical studies, investigating different amyloid fibril proteins, amyloid P component, ubiquitin, intermediate filaments and pituitary hormones, failed to demonstrate any similarities, and a common origin is unlikely. Statistical analyses demonstrated significant correlations between the occurrences of all three local amyloids. The clinical and histopathological significance of local pituitary and adrenal amyloid remains obscure. The results suggested that the pathogenesis of the local senile amyloidoses of the pituitary and adrenals may be influenced by a common, still uncharacterized variable. It is not clear whether this variable also contributes to the pathogenesis of other senile amyloid syndromes, such as those associated with Alzheimers' disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Arnesen M, Manivel JC (1993) Plasmacytoma of the thoracic spine with intracellular amyloid and massive extracellular amyloid deposition. Ultrastruct Pathol 17:447–453

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bohl J, Steinmetz H, Störkel S (1991) Age-related accumulation of congophilic fibrillar inclusions in endocrine cells. Virchows Arch [A] 419:51–58

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chronopoulos S, Chan SL, Ratcliffe MJH, Ali-Khan Z (1995) Colocalization of ubiquitin and serum amyloid A and ubiquitin-bound AA in the endosomes-lysosomes: a double immunogold electron microscopic study. Amyloid 2:191–194

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cornwell GG III, Johnson KH, Westermark P (1995) The age related amyloids: a growing family of unique biochemical substances. J Clin Pathol 48:984–989

    Google Scholar 

  5. Dekoning EJP, Morris ER, Hofhuis FMA, Posthuma G, Hoppener JWM, Morris JF, Capel PJA, Clark A, Verbeek JS (1994) Intra-and extracellular amyloid fibrils are formed in cultured pancreatic islets of transgenic mice expressing human islet amyloid polypeptide. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:8467–8471

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Eriksson L, Westermark P (1990) Age-related accumulation of amyloid inclusions in adrenal cortical cells. Am J Pathol 136:461–466

    Google Scholar 

  7. Glenner GG (1980) Amyloid deposits and amyloidosis. The β-fibrilloses, Part 1. N Engl J Med 302:1283–1292

    Google Scholar 

  8. Glenner GG (1980) Amyloid deposits and amyloidosis. The β-fibrilloses, Part 2. N Engl J Med 302:1333–1343

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ishihara T, Takahashi M, Koga M, Yokota T, Yamashita Y, Uchino F (1991) Amyloid fibril formation in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of plasma cells from a patient with localized Aλ amyloidosis. Lab Invest 64:265–271

    Google Scholar 

  10. Johansson B, Westermark P (1990) The relation of atrial natriuretic factor to isolated atrial amyloid. Exp Mol Pathol 52:266–278

    Google Scholar 

  11. Landolt AM, Heitz PU (1988) Differentiation of two types of amyloid occurring in pituitary adenomas. Pathol Res Pract 183:552–554

    Google Scholar 

  12. Landolt AM, Kleihues P, Heitz PU (1987) Amyloid deposits in pituitary adenomas. Differentiation of two types. Arch Pathol Lab Med 111:453–458

    Google Scholar 

  13. Linke RP (1982) Immunohistochemical identification and cross reactions of amyloid fibril proteins in senile heart and amyloid in familial polyneuropathy. Lack of reactivity with cerebral amyloid in Alzheimer's disease. Clin Neuropathol 1:172–182

    Google Scholar 

  14. Linke RP (1985) Immunochemical typing of amyloid deposits after microextraction from biopsies. Appl Pathol 3:18–28

    Google Scholar 

  15. Linke RP (1989) Amyloid deposits derived from various proteins — a hallmark of old age. In: Platt D (ed) Gerontology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 175–192

    Google Scholar 

  16. Linke RP, Logan C, Muckle TJ, Simon G (1988) Immunological examination of senile amyloidosis of the temporal artery. In: Isobe T, Araki S, Uchino F, Kito S, Tsubura E (eds) Amyloid and amyloidosis. Plenum Press, New York, pp 657–659

    Google Scholar 

  17. Linke RP, Geisel O, Mann K (1991) Equine cutaneous amyloidosis derived from an immunoglobulin λ-light chain. Immunohistochemical, immunochemical and chemical results. Biol Chem Hoppe-Seyler 372:835–843

    Google Scholar 

  18. McCormick WF, Halmi NS (1971) Absence of chromophobe adenomas from a large series of pituitary tumors. Arch Pathol 92:231–238

    Google Scholar 

  19. O'Brien TD, Butler AE, Roche PC, Johnson KH, Butler PC (1994) Islet amyloid polypeptide in human insulinomas — evidence for intracellular amyloidogenesis. Diabetes 43:329–336

    Google Scholar 

  20. O'Brien TD, Butler PC, Kreutter DK, Kane LA, Eberhardt NL (1995) Human islet amyloid polypeptide expression in COS-1 cells: a model of intracellular amyloidogenesis. Am J Pathol 147:609–616

    Google Scholar 

  21. Pepys MB (1992) Amyloid P component and the diagnosis of amyloidosis. J Intern Med 232:519–521

    Google Scholar 

  22. Pepys MB, Baltz ML, De Beer FC, Dyck RF, Holford S, Breathnach SM, Black MM, Tribe CR, Evans DJ, Feinstein A (1982) Biology of serum amyloid P component. Ann NY Acad Sci 389:286–298

    Google Scholar 

  23. Pucci A, Wharton J, Arbustini E, Grasso M, Diegoli M, Needleman P, Vigano M, Polak JM (1991) Atrial amyloid deposits in the failing human heart display both atrial and brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity. J Pathol (Lond) 165:235–241

    Google Scholar 

  24. Puchtler H, Sweat F, Levine M (1962) On the binding of Congo red by amyloid. J Histochem Cytochem 10:355–364

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Ravid M, Gafni J, Sohar E, Missmahl HP (1967) Incidence and origin of non-systemic microdeposits of amyloid. J Clin Pathol 20:15–20

    Google Scholar 

  26. Röcken C, Saeger W (1994) Amyloid deposits of the pituitary in old age: correlation with histopathological alterations. Endocr Pathol 5:183–190

    Google Scholar 

  27. Röcken C, Uhlig H, Saeger W, Linke RP, Fehr S (1995) Amyloid deposits in pituitaries and pituitary adenomas: immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Endocr Pathol 6:135–143

    Google Scholar 

  28. Röcken C, Saeger W, Fleege JC, Linke RP (1995) Interstitial amyloid deposits in the pituitary gland: morphometry, immunohistology and correlation to diseases. Arch Pathol Lab Med 119:1055–1060

    Google Scholar 

  29. Saeger W, Warner R, Missmahl HP (1983) Amyloidosen der Hypophyse im Sektionsgut. Häufigkeit, Verteilung und Korrelation zum Alter und zu Grundkrankheiten. Pathologe 4:177–182

    Google Scholar 

  30. Shirahama TS, Cohen AS (1975) Intralysosomal formation of amyloid fibrils. Am J Pathol 81:101–116

    Google Scholar 

  31. Störkel S, Bohl J, Schneider HM (1983) Senile amyloidosis: principles of localization in a heterogenous form of amyloidosis. Virchows Arch [B] 44:145–161

    Google Scholar 

  32. Takahashi M, Yokota T, Kawano H, Gondo T, Ishihara T, Uchino F (1989) Ultrastructural evidence for intracellular formation of amyloid fibrils in macrophages. Virchows Arch [A] 415:411–419

    Google Scholar 

  33. Tashima T, Kitamoto T, Tateishi J, Ogomori K, Nakagaki H (1988) Incidence and characterization of age related amyloid deposits in the human anterior pituitary gland. Virchows Arch [A] 412:323–327

    Google Scholar 

  34. Westermark P (1994) Amyloid and polypeptide hormones: what is their interrelationship? Amyloid 1:47–60

    Google Scholar 

  35. Yamada M, Tsukagoshi H, Otomo E, Hayakawa M (1988) Systemic amyloid deposition in old age and dementia of Alzheimer type: the relationship of brain amyloid to other amyloid. Acta Neuropathol 77:136–141

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. C. Röcken

    Present address: Halton General Hospital, Runcorr, Cheshire, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Marienkrankenhaus, Alfredstrasse 9, D-22087, Hamburg, Germany

    C. Röcken, B. Eick & W. Saeger

Authors
  1. C. Röcken
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. Eick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. W. Saeger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Röcken, C., Eick, B. & Saeger, W. Senile amyloidoses of the pituitary and adrenal glands. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 429, 293–299 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00198345

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00198345

Key words

Search

Navigation