Abnormal muscle and hematopoietic gene expression may be important for clinical morbidity in primary hyperparathyroidism

• Published in: American journal of physiology: endocrinology and metabolism 2007-05, Vol.292 (5), p.E1465-E1473
• Main Authors: Reppe, Sjur, Stilgren, Lis, Abrahamsen, Bo, Olstad, Ole K, Cero, Fadila, Brixen, Kim, Nissen-Meyer, Lise Sofie, Gautvik, Kaare M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Biopsy; Endocrinology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Hematopoietic System - metabolism; Hematopoietic System - physiology; Hormones; Humans; Hyperparathyroidism, Primary - genetics; Hyperparathyroidism, Primary - metabolism; Metabolic disorders; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Muscles - metabolism; Muscles - physiology; Muscular system; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Parathyroid Hormone - biosynthesis; Parathyroid Hormone - genetics; Receptor, Parathyroid Hormone, Type 1 - biosynthesis; Receptor, Parathyroid Hormone, Type 1 - genetics; Receptor, Parathyroid Hormone, Type 2 - biosynthesis; Receptor, Parathyroid Hormone, Type 2 - genetics; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger - genetics
• ISSN: 0193-1849; 1522-1555
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00487.2006

1 Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; 2 Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; 3 Department of Clinical Chemistry, Ullevaal University Hospital; and 4 Lovisenberg Hospital, Oslo, Norway Submitted 11 September 2006 ; accepted in final form 12 January 2007 In primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), excess PTH secretion by adenomatous or hyperplastic parathyroid glands leads to elevated serum [Ca 2+ ]. Patients present complex symptoms of muscular fatigue, various neuropsychiatric, neuromuscular, and cardiovascular manifestations, and, in advanced disease, kidney stones and metabolic bone disease. Our objective was to characterize changes in muscle and hematopoietic gene expression in patients with reversible mild PHPT after parathyroidectomy and possibly link molecular pathology to symptoms. Global mRNA profiling using Affymetrix gene chips was carried out in biopsies obtained before and 1 yr after parathyroidectomy in seven patients discovered by routine blood [Ca 2+ ] screening. The tissue distribution of PTH receptor (PTHR1 and PTHR2) mRNAs were quantitated using real-time RT-PCR in unrelated persons to define PTH target tissues. Of about 10,000 expressed genes, 175 muscle, 169 hematological, and 99 bone-associated mRNAs were affected. Notably, the major part of muscle-related mRNAs was increased whereas hematological mRNAs were predominantly decreased during disease. Functional and molecular network analysis demonstrated major alterations of several tissue characteristic groups of mRNAs as well as those belonging to common cell signaling and major metabolic pathways. PTHR1 and PTHR2 mRNAs were more abundantly expressed in muscle and brain than in hematopoietic cells. We suggest that sustained stimulation of PTH receptors present in brain, muscle, and hematopoietic cells have to be considered as one independent, important cause of molecular disease in PHPT leading to profound alterations in gene expression that may help explain symptoms like muscle fatigue, cardiovascular pathology, and precipitation of psychiatric illness. microarray; biopsies; parathyroid hormone Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: K. M. Gautvik, PO Box 1112 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway (e-mail: k.m.gautvik{at}medisin.uio.no )