In addition to sex chromosome-encoded genes, several autosomal genes were up-regulated in adenomas from male patients; of note, PDLIM2, PENK, SOX4, FH, PTMA and TMEM97 are all associated with tumourigenesis [64,65,66,67,68,69], and thus could play a role in the less favourable course of corticotrope adenomas in male patients. Here, PENK is linked to adenoma.