• All IHC stains will include a positive control tissue

• Immunoperoxidase staining for the presence of pituitary hormones helps distinguish pituitary adenomas and the rare primary pituitary carcinomas from other tumors occurring in the region of the sella (such as craniopharyngioma, metastatic carcinoma, meningioma, lymphoma, leukemia and plasmacytoma), none of which contain or produce pituitary hormones. Positive staining for specific pituitary hormones can divide the pituitary adenomas into subclasses based on the corresponding cell type present
• Negative staining for pituitary hormones does not rule out a pituitary adenoma since some contain none of the known adenohypophyseal hormones
• 20-25% of all pituitary adenomas produce growth hormone, the vast majority of which also produce prolactin and TSH
• Immunoreactivity for growth hormone may be scant and focal or strong and diffuse in those adenomas

Submit a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue block

FFPE tissue section mounted on a charged, unstained slide

Ambient (preferred)

• Unlabeled/mislabeled block
• Insufficient tissue
• Slides broken beyond repair

Immunohistochemical staining and microscopic examination

If requested, an interpretive report will be provided

Specifications

• This antibody reacts with human growth hormone. It recognizes the growth hormone-secreting cells of the pituitary gland (somatotrophs). In the normal pituitary gland, these cells comprise 50% of the cells in the adenohypophysis and are mostly contained in the lateral wing

Staining pattern

• Cytoplasmic based staining