Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
07:12
Establishment of a Simple and Effective Rat Model for Intraoperative Parathyroid Gland Imaging
Published on: August 17, 2022
Newly identified parathormone-secreting cells in the thyroid tissue
Özge Karabıyık Acar1, Gamze Torun Kose2, Ezgi Hacıhasanoglu3
1Okan University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Surgery Open Science
|July 6, 2026
Summary
Thyroid tissue secretes parathyroid hormone (PTH) after parathyroidectomy, suggesting a new cell population within the thyroid may be responsible for residual PTH levels. This finding impacts understanding of PTH regulation.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Cell Biology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Circulating parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels do not typically reach zero after total parathyroidectomy.
- The source of this residual PTH secretion remains unidentified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential for thyroid tissue to secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH).
- To identify the cellular source of residual PTH following parathyroidectomy.
Main Methods:
- Tissue samples from total thyroidectomy (Group 1), non-thyroid/non-parathyroid tissues (Group 2), and healthy parathyroid glands (Group 3) were analyzed.
- Parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations were measured in tissue samples.
- Confocal immunofluorescence staining was performed to identify PTH-positive cells within the tissues.
Main Results:
- Thyroid tissue (Group 1) exhibited significantly higher PTH levels (38.50 ± 7.92 pg/mL) compared to control tissues (Group 2: 6.95 ± 1.22 pg/mL; p=0.01).
- Confocal microscopy revealed PTH-positive granules within thyroid epithelial-like cells, suggesting these cells are responsible for PTH secretion.
Conclusions:
- Thyroid tissues demonstrate a significant capacity for PTH secretion.
- A novel cell population within the thyroid gland may account for residual PTH secretion observed post-parathyroidectomy.
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