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Clinical characteristics and surgical outcome in USP8-mutated human adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas

  • Endocrine Surgery
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

somatic mutations in the ubiquitin-specific protease 8 (USP8) gene have recently been described in patients with Cushing’s disease (CD). The aim of the study is to verify whether USP8 mutation may predict early and late outcome of pituitary surgery in patients with CD operated at a single institution.

Methods

We performed a retrospective genetic analysis of 92 adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenomas. Specimens were screened for USP8 hotspot mutations in the exon 14 with Sanger sequencing. Hormonal and surgical data were compared between USP8 variant carriers and wild-type tumors.

Results

USP8 variants were detected in 22 adenomas (23.9%) with higher prevalence in women (28.9% vs. 5.3% in men; p < 0.05). No significant difference in hormonal levels and tumoral features in relation to USP8 status was observed. Interestingly, USP8-variant carriers were more likely to achieve surgical remission than wild-type adenomas (100% vs. 75.7%; p = 0.01). Conversely, recurrence of CD occurred in 23% of USP8-mutated patients and in 13% of patients with wild-type adenoma. The recurrence-free survival did not differ significantly between the two groups (p = 0.42).

Conclusions

ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas carrying somatic USP8 mutations are associated with a greater likelihood of surgical remission in patients operated by a single neurosurgeon. Recurrence rates are not related with USP8-variant status.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from any agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pituitary Unit of the Division of Neurosurgery, IRCCS San Raffaele, University Vita-Salute, Milan, MI, Italy

    Marco Losa, Pietro Mortini, Angela Pagnano & Mario Detomas

  2. Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Neuroendocrine Research Laboratory, Milan, MI, Italy

    Maria Francesca Cassarino & Francesca Pecori Giraldi

  3. Department of Clinical Sciences & Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Francesca Pecori Giraldi

Authors
  1. Marco Losa
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  2. Pietro Mortini
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  3. Angela Pagnano
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  4. Mario Detomas
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  5. Maria Francesca Cassarino
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  6. Francesca Pecori Giraldi
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Correspondence to Marco Losa.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study formal consent is not required.

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Losa, M., Mortini, P., Pagnano, A. et al. Clinical characteristics and surgical outcome in USP8-mutated human adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas. Endocrine 63, 240–246 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-018-1776-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-018-1776-0

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