Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development
Published on: June 6, 2014
Differential gene expression by oxyphil and chief cells of human parathyroid glands
Cynthia S Ritter1, Bruce H Haughey, Brent Miller
1Renal Division, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes Jewish Hospital, St Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
Context:
Parathyroid oxyphil cells, whose function is unknown, are thought to be derived from chief cells. Oxyphil cells increase in number in parathyroid glands of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and are even more abundant in patients receiving treatment for hyperparathyroidism with calcitriol and/or the calcimimetic cinacalcet.
Objective:
We examined oxyphil and chief cells of parathyroid glands of CKD patients for differential expression of genes important to parathyroid function.
Design/Setting/Participants:
Parathyroid tissue from CKD patients with refractory hyperparathyroidism was immunostained for gene expression studies.
Main Outcome Measure:
Immunostaining for PTH, PTHrP, calcium-sensing receptor, glial cells missing 2, vitamin D receptor, 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1α-hydroxylase, and cytochrome c was quantified and expression reported for oxyphil and chief cells.
Results:
Expression of all proteins analyzed, except for the vitamin D receptor, was higher in oxyphil cells than in chief cells.
Conclusion:
Human parathyroid oxyphil cells express parathyroid-relevant genes found in the chief cells and have the potential to produce additional autocrine/paracrine factors, such as PTHrP and calcitriol. Additional studies are warranted to define the secretory properties of these cells and clarify their role in parathyroid pathophysiology.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Cell Specific Gene Expression
Cell Specific Gene Expression
Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Regulation of Hormone Secretion
Humoral stimuli,...
Synthesis and Functions of Calcitonin
The exact mechanisms by which calcitonin operates in calcium homeostasis remain elusive, but its significance is evident in several vital...
The Parathyroid Glands
Oxyphil cells, whose functions remain elusive, emerge during late puberty, adding a layer of complexity to the parathyroid gland's intricacies. In contrast, principal parathyroid cells undertake a vital role by producing...

