Somatostatin analogues increase AIP expression in somatotropinomas, irrespective of Gsp mutations

Abstract

Germline aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) gene mutations confer a predisposition to pituitary adenoma (PA), predominantly GH-secreting (GH-PA). As recent data suggest a role for AIP in the pathogenesis of sporadic GH-PA and their response to somatostatin analogues (SSA), the expression of AIP and its partner, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), was determined by semiquantitative immunohistochemistry scoring in 62 sporadic GH-PA (37 treated with SSA preoperatively). The influence ofGspstatus was studied in a subset of tumours (n=39, 14Gsp+) and six GH-PA were available for primary cultures. AIP and AHR were detected in most cases, with a positive correlation between AIP and cytoplasmic AHR (P=0.012). Low AIP expression was significantly more frequent in untreated vs SSA-treated tumours (44.0 vs 20.5%,P=0.016). AHR expression or localisation did not differ between the two groups. Similarly,in vitrooctreotide induced a median twofold increase in AIP expression (range 1.2–13.9,P=0.027) in GH-PA. In SSA-treated tumours, the AIP score was significantly higher in the presence of preoperative IGF1 decrease or tumour shrinkage (P=0.008 andP=0.014 respectively). In untreated tumours, low AIP expression was significantly associated with invasiveness (P=0.028) and suprasellar extension (P=0.019). The only effect ofGspstatus was a significantly lower nuclear AHR score inGsp+vsGsp−tumours (P=0.025), irrespective of SSA. In conclusion, AIP is involved in the aggressiveness of sporadic GH-PA, regardless ofGspstatus, and AIP up-regulation in SSA-treated tumours is associated with a better preoperative response, with no clear role for AHR.