New miRNA signatures may differentiate parathyroid diseases

Researchers have conducted a pilot study to identify specific microRNA (miRNA) signatures that could help distinguish between single and multiglandular parathyroid disease. This study focuses on patients with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (sPHPT), which is often caused by a single parathyroid adenoma (PTA). The study included 47 patients with various types of parathyroid conditions: 32 had a single PTA, 12 had double PTAs, and 9 had multiglandular disease. Plasma samples were collected from these patients as well as from 29 healthy individuals. The researchers analyzed over 2,000 miRNAs to find those that are expressed differently between these groups. The results showed that specific miRNA signatures could effectively differentiate normal parathyroid tissue from both multiglandular disease and single PTAs. Notably, the researchers identified a set of 27 miRNAs that were significantly different between single-PTA tissues and other samples. In the plasma samples, a group of 9 cell-free miRNAs demonstrated a strong correlation with the presence of a single PTA. This study suggests that the identified miRNA signatures could serve as biomarkers for the preoperative diagnosis of sPHPT related to single PTAs. If validated, these findings could lead to less invasive procedures when diagnosing parathyroid conditions.