Immunohistochemical evaluation of hormones secreted by pancreatic endocrine tumors

ABSTRACT

The endocrine component of the pancreas is located primarily in the islets of Langerhans, but is also found as single cells among the acinar cells and duct epithelium. It currently is thought that endocrine tumors of the pancreas (PETs) arise from pluripotent stem cells located within the ductal epithelium rather than from existing endocrine cells. Islet cell components include alpha, beta, PP, delta and epsilon cells, which secrete glucagon, insulin, pancreatic polypeptide, somatostatin and ghrelin, respectively. We investigated immunohistochemical labeling of 24 formalin fixed paraffin embedded PETs to identify which hormones were produced most frequently. Glucagon was the most frequently secreted hormone (83%) in PETS followed by insulin, ghrelin, pancreatic polypeptide and somatostatin.

KEYWORDS:

• Endocrine tumors
• ghrelin
• glucagon
• human
• insulin
• pancreatic polypeptide
• somatostatin

Acknowledgments

We appreciate the continued support for our educational mission from Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Doctors Anatomic Pathology Services, St. Bernards Healthcare, Idexx laboratories, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and University of Tennessee DermPath laboratory.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.