In this study we examined whether human thymus produces PTH and/or GCMA and whether intrathymic PTH-secreting adenomas express GCMA or GCMB to determine the embryological origin of the secretory cells.
GCMB mRNA expression was lower in normal (0.4 +/- 0.1, mean +/- standard error of mean) parathyroid glands as compared to adenoma (3.5 +/- 1.7), hyperplasia (3.2 +/- 1.3 primary hyperparathyroidism [n = 11] and 7.6 +/- 4.8 secondary hyperparathyroidism [n = 5]), and cancer (3.6 +/- 1.3) ( P = .001).