Neuroendocrinology of adrenalcortical tumors: A primary study / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the neuroendocrine properties of adrenalcortical tumors. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 99 adrenalcortical tumor patients, who were treated in Changzheng Hospital form June 1999 to June 2005. Expression of neuron specific enolase (NSE), chromogranin A (CgA) and synaptophysin (Syn) proteins were examined by immunohistochemistry (S-P method) using monoclonal antibodies. The general data of patients, including the age, symptoms, laboratory findings, and pathological types, were collected and subjected to statistical analysis with SAS v6. 12 software. Results: The expression of all the above 3 proteins was found in adrenalcortical adenoma tissues, with the positive rate of NSE being 80%, the positive rate of CgA being 48.9%, and the positive rate of Syn being 75.6%; the positive rates in the adrenalcortical carcinoma tissues were 77.8%, 22.2%, and 77.8%, respectively; and those in the normal adrenal tissues was 20%, 0%, and 10%, respectively. The positive rates of 3 proteins in adrenalcortical tumors was significantly higher than those in the normal adrenal tissues (Ptumors.

Conclusion:

Both adrenalcortical adenomas and adrenalcortical carcinomas possess neuroendocrine properties, indicating that their development is associated with abnormal differential of nuroendocrine cells in adrenal cortex.