Familial acromegaly.

Abstract

Most pituitary tumors are sporadic, though a few occur with a familial aggregation. Three distinct syndromes have been recognized to date: multiple endocrine neoplasia, type I (MEN-1), Carney complex (CNC), and isolated familial somatotropinomas (IFS). Pituitary tumor types in MEN-1 are similar to those occurring sporadically. The largest percentage are prolactin-secreting or non-functioning and only about 10% are growth hormone (GH)-secreting (somatotropinomas). In contrast, tumors types in CNC and IFS are invariably somatotropinomas, though there are differences in both clinical and histological features. Each of the familial syndromes is associated with a tumor-suppressor gene that was initially recognized by an observed loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 11q13 in MEN-1 and IFS and on chromosome 17q in CNC. The MEN-1 gene, which codes for the nuclear protein, menin, has been identified and a large number of inactivating mutations have been recognized. The gene associated with CNC codes for the protein kinase A regulatory subunit 1, inactivation of which leads to enhanced activity of the GH-releasing hormone-induced signal transduction pathway. This pathway exerts proliferative effects in somatotropes. The gene associated with IFS is distinct from the MEN-1 gene, though it is located in close proximity, and is contained in a candidate region of approximately 10 Mb. Identification of the IFS gene should provide new insight into the pathogenesis of somatotropinomas, not only in IFS but also in sporadic tumors, where there is an up to 40% allelic loss on chromosome 11q13.