Abstract
Calcium homeostasis is maintained by the actions of the parathyroid glands, which
release parathyroid hormone into the systemic circulation as necessary to
maintain the serum calcium concentration within a tight physiologic range.
Excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone from one or more neoplastic
parathyroid glands, however, causes the metabolic disease primary
hyperparathyroidism (HPT) typically associated with hypercalcemia. Although the
majority of cases of HPT are sporadic, it can present in the context of a
familial syndrome. Mutations in the tumor suppressor genes discovered by the
study of such families are now recognized to be pathogenic for many sporadic
parathyroid tumors. Inherited and somatic mutations of proto-oncogenes causing
parathyroid neoplasia are also known. Future investigation of somatic changes in
parathyroid tumor DNA and the study of kindreds with HPT yet lacking germline
mutation in the set of genes known to predispose to HPT represent two avenues
likely to unmask additional novel genes relevant to parathyroid neoplasia.
Key words
tumor suppressor - oncogene - multiple endocrine neoplasia - MEN1 - MEN2A - jaw tumor syndrome - CDC73 - GCM2