A parathyroid hormone-like protein from cultured human keratinocytes

Parathyroid hormone-like factors have been found in extracts of tumors associated with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy, many of which are of squamous epithelial origin. Cultured, nonmalignant human keratinocytes were examined for the production of similar factors. Keratinocyte-conditioned medium from ten cultures stimulated the production of cyclic adenosine monophosphate in clonally derived rat osteosarcoma cells sensitive to parathyroid hormone. Bovine [Nle8,18, Tyr34]PTH-(3-34)NH2, a competitive inhibitor of parathyroid hormone, stopped the adenylate cyclase production stimulated by keratinocyte-conditioned medium, but antisera to parathyroid hormone had no effect on such adenylate cyclase activity. The active component of keratinocyte-conditioned medium has a molecular weight exceeding that of native parathyroid hormone. These characteristics are shared by the parathyroid hormone receptor agonists associated with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy, which suggests that normal human keratinocytes may produce a factor related to that produced by malignant tumors associated with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy.