[Cultivation and characterization of primary human parathyroid cells from patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism].

OBJECTIVE: To establish an cell model of hyperparathyroidism by isolation, in vitro culture, and identification of parathyroid cells from patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT).

METHODS: The parathyroid gland tissues obtained from 10 patients with SHPT were dissociated by collagenase digestion for primary culture of the parathyroid cells. Morphological changes and growth characteristics of the cells were assessed by microscopic imaging and cell counting. The mRNA and protein expression levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), and glial cells missing 2 (GCM2) in the primary and passaged cells were determined by immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting.

RESULTS: Primary cultures of parathyroid cells were successfully obtained. The cells exhibited a high expression of PTH shown by immunofluorescence assay and had a population doubling time of approximately 71.61 h. PTH secretion in the second-passage (P2) cells was significantly lower than that in the primary (P0) and first-passage (P1) cells ( P < 0.001). Despite a significant downregulation of CaSR mRNA ( P =0.017) and protein ( P =0.006) in P1 cells as compared with P0 cells, no significant differences were found in mRNA and protein expressions of PTH or GCM2 between the two cell generations.

CONCLUSION: Primary cultures of parathyroid cells isolated from SHPT patients by collagenase digestion show similar biological properties to the cells in vivo .