Study Finds Difference in Pituitary Adenomas of Men and Women

The gene expression patterns and hormone content of pituitary adenomas, which causes Cushing’s disease, may differ between men and women, according to an article published in in the journal Cancers.

In this study, 153 ACTH-secreting adenomas from 31 men and 122 women were analyzed. In males, ACTH medium concentrations in adenomas were significantly lower than in females.

The researchers concluded that sex may play a role in molecular features of ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas.

“Our study shows for the first time that human corticotrope adenomas present sexual dimorphism and underlines the need for a gender-dependent analysis of these tumours. Differentially expressed genes may represent the basis for gender-tailored target therapy,” the authors wrote.

Reference

Pecori Giraldi F, Cassarino MF, Sesta A, et al. Sexual Dimorphism in Cellular and Molecular Features in Human ACTH-Secreting Pituitary Adenomas. Cancers (Basel). 2020;12(3):669. Published 2020 Mar 13. doi:10.3390/cancers12030669