These data suggest that whilst IL-8 may be important, the local expression of the cytokines IL-2, IL-5 and IL-7 is not important in human anterior pituitary tumorigenesis.

These findings may reflect a special requirement for iron by gonadotrophin secreting cells in comparison to other pituitary cell types and this could underlie the reasons why in the normal pituitary these cells are especially susceptible to malfunction in iron overload syndromes such as genetic haemochromatosis and beta-thalassaemia.