Frozen sections from 28 pituitary adenomas were reacted with a panel of monoclonal antibodies to macrophages, lymphocytes and HLA-Dr invariant chain. A low number of macrophages were demonstrated in all tumors, mainly perivascular. CD8 and CD4 lymphocytes were detected in even smaller numbers in 80% and 14% of tumors respectively. B lymphocytes were present in only 1 case. An occasional NK cell was present in 1/13 cases studied. HLA-Dr antigen was expressed by macrophages in all cases and by tumor cells in 2 growth hormone-producing adenomas/19 adenomas. These findings may represent evidence for a low degree of cellular immune response to pituitary adenomas.
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