Some research suggests patients with cushings can have positive anti-pituitary antibodies targeting acth producing cells and this autoimmunity can stimulate acth adenoma formation. is this correct?

Seems to be correct: It is correct that cushing disease is the cause of pituitary adenoma, etiology of that seems to be auto immunity.

Doubt it: People with pituitary adenomas of all sorts tend to have pituitary autoantibodies but these can't cause the mutations that cause the tumors ; are probably just the result for the normal gland being damaged. Since the type of tumor has no correlation with antibody presence, this supports this common-sense idea. New review pituitary. 15(4):490-4, 2012 dec.