Role of LncRNA score and PVT1 in primary hyperparathyroidism-- a preliminary study

Dysregulated lncRNA score and PVT1 expression may be involved in cancer. However, relationships of lncRNAs with hyperparathyroidism and parathyroid cancer (PC) diagnosis remain mysterious.

Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), expression profile of PVT1 was evaluated in 57 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, including 11 with parathyroid cancer (PC) and 46 with parathyroid adenoma (PA).

Higher levels of lncRNA score and PVT1 expression were associated with increased serum calcium level after water ingestion and PC risk (P < 0.05). Accordingly, lncRNA score and PVT1 expression were increased with varying degrees of hypercalcemia in PC. A higher level of lncRNA score (but not PVT1) was an independent risk factor of PC, with an AUC up to 0.872 (95% CI: 0.756-0.945, P < 0.001). Moreover, lncRNA score was more valuable (with AUC 0.974, sensitivity of 85.71% and specificity of 100%, respectively) than intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) in predicting risk of PC among patients with hypercalcemia (especially based on greater AUC, P = 0.010).

Increased lncRNA score is correlated with an elevated level of serum calcium, which may serve as a potential biomarker for PC diagnosis, especially with hypercalcemia.