Somatostatin analogues are considered to be the first line of treatment in acromegaly. Somatostatin analogues of the first generation mainly target the somatostatin receptor (SSTR) subtype 2 and have been proven efficient in the majority of patients with acromegaly. Pasireotide was the first somatostatin analogue also substantially targeting the SSTR subtype 5. An efficient drug for Cushing's disease tailored to suboptimal-responding patients with acromegaly then became available. We immunohistochemically investigated SSTR subtypes expression in pituitary adenomas from operated acromegaly patients with clinical relapse and a complicated clinical course. Patients received pasireotide in the course of their disease. The predictive value of SSTR subtypes immunhistochemical analysis for the therapeutic response is discussed.
Keywords: acromegaly; immunohistochemistry; somatostatin analogues; somatostatin receptor subtype.