Immunohistochemical study of nodular hyperplastic parathyroid glands in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism

Thirty-seven nodular hyperplastic parathyroid glands obtained by subtotal parathyroidectomy from 11 haemodialysed patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism were examined both pathologically and immunohistochemically. Four consecutive sections of the largest section-surface of each gland were subject to 4 different stains (haematoxyline-eosin, Grimelius, and the immunohistochemical stains for parathyroid hormone and chromogranin A) for comparison of each nodule. It was found that the major part of each nodule consisted of a single cell type with a single pattern of cells. These reacted uniformly to each stain. The mechanism involved in the storage and secretion of the secretory granule appeared to be regulated at the nodule and not at the cell level. The results suggest that the nodules may come from a monoclonal proliferation of a single parathyroid cell. Our present light microscopic immunohistochemical study, failed to demonstrate completely identical immunoreactive positivity of each nodule or each parathyroid cell to PTH. Chromogranin A or secretory protein-I did not indicate the coexistence of PTH and SP-I in the same secretory granule, which was in good agreement with the electron microscopic immunocytochemical study of Arps using bovine parathyroid glands. Our present study, however, provides good evidence that chromogranin A positivity is demonstrable in the human parathyroid gland outside the adrenal medulla and sympathetic nerves.