Measurement of circulating parathyroid hormone

The measurement of parathyroid hormone (PTH) is important in the investigation of disorders of mineral metabolism. Though the first immunoassay for PTH was described more than 25 years ago, it is only recently that methods have been developed which provide the required sensitivity and specificity to detect small changes in hormone secretion in normal subjects. These new methods take advantage of modern labelled antibody technology and have already been shown capable of yielding improvements in the diagnosis and monitoring of disorders which involve changes in PTH secretion. In addition, they are now providing fresh insight into the basic physiology of PTH secretion.