Abstract
Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the physiology of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and the assessment of parathyroid function. PTH is the major secretory product of the parathyroid glands. Investigations on the control of biosynthesis of PTH have enabled some conclusions to be made on the nature of the cellular processes involved. The mechanism by which alterations in extracellular Ca2+ influence parathyroid intracellular events take place is uncertain. The chromatographic investigation of serum pools has shown that the major circulating immunoreactive form of PTH has a molecular weight of about 6000, which corresponds to the C-terminal sequence of the 35–84 fragment. The two major target organs of PTH are bone and kidney. Primary hyperparathyroidism is a condition in which the secretory activity of some or all of the parathyroid tissue is inappropriately elevated. In the diagnosis of hypocalcemia, it is necessary to differentiate between a primary parathyroid insufficiency (hypoparathyroidism) with low or undetectable circulating immunoreactive PTH and conditions where the PTH is appropriately elevated.
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