Serum parathyroid hormone (1-84) assessed by immunoradiometric methods can differentiate malignant hypercalcemia and primary hyperparathyroidism
Laurberg, P.; Charles, P.; Hasling, C.; Mosekilde, L.; Nielsen, H.K.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 150(48): 2972-2974
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 3201618 Document Number: 321620
Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) was measured by a new immuno-radiometric assay detecting intact PTH 1-84, in 28 normal subjects, 23 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and 25 patients with hypercalcemia and cancer. In the normal subjects, serum PTH was within the range 16-50 ng/l. All of the patients with primary hyperparathyroidism had elevated serum PTH. Serum PTH was below 16 ng/l in 24 of the patients with cancer and in the low normal range in one of the patients. Thus, the new assay can be used to discriminate between hypercalcemia caused by primary hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia secondary to cancer. This represents a major advance on the available PTH radio-immuno-assays.