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Increased serum interleukin-22 levels in patients with PRL-secreting and non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas

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Abstract

Cytokines’ involvement in tumorigenesis has been hypothesized. Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is implicated in proliferative and anti-apoptotic pathways via its receptor IL-22R. Its role in pituitary adenomas has never been investigated. Twenty-seven patients with pituitary macroadenomas (PA, 21 males, mean age 53.8 ± 14.4 years) and 30 healthy controls (19 males, mean age 50.4 ± 8.4 years) were enrolled. Out of 27 PA patients, 17 had a non-functioning tumour (NFPA) and 10 a PRL-secreting adenoma (PRL-oma). Serum IL-22 levels were measured in both patients and controls. Immunohistochemical (IHC) tumoral IL-22R expression was evaluated in 10 patients with NFPA and 4 with PRL-oma. IL-22 levels were significantly higher in PA patients than in controls [32.47 (11.29–70.12) vs. 5.58 (0.19–21.46) pg/mL, p < 0.0001] but did not correlate with tumor maximum diameter and were not associated to pituitary function impairment. PRL-oma patients had significantly higher IL-22 levels than NFPA patients [37.18 (14.82–70.12) vs. 21.29 (11.29–56) pg/mL, p = 0.039]. IHC revealed a strong IL-22R staining in 100 % of PRL-omas and 60 % of NFPAs. We provide the first evidence of increased serum IL-22 levels in patients with pituitary macroadenoma, especially in PRL-omas, regardless of tumor size and/or degree of pituitary function impairment. We also demonstrated the expression of IL22R in all PRL-omas and in 60 % of NFPAs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest and they did not receive any financial benefit from research in this study. This study was not supported by grants or funds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, AOU Policlinico “G. Martino” (Pad. H, floor 4), Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy

    S. Cannavo, F. Ferrau, O. R. Cotta, R. M. Ruggeri & F. Trimarchi

  2. Department of Human Pathology, School and Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    S. Saitta & S. Gangemi

  3. Department of Pathology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    V. Barresi

  4. Department of Pharmacology and Biology, School of Pharmacy, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    M. T. Cristani & A. Saija

  5. Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology “A. Monroy” (IBIM), CNR, Palermo, Italy

    S. Gangemi

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  1. S. Cannavo
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  2. F. Ferrau
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  3. O. R. Cotta
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  4. S. Saitta
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  5. V. Barresi
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  6. M. T. Cristani
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  7. A. Saija
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  8. R. M. Ruggeri
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  9. F. Trimarchi
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  10. S. Gangemi
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Correspondence to F. Ferrau.

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Cannavo, S., Ferrau, F., Cotta, O.R. et al. Increased serum interleukin-22 levels in patients with PRL-secreting and non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas. Pituitary 17, 76–80 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-013-0468-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-013-0468-2

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