Data on consecutive patients operated upon for pHPT at Lund University Hospital have been collected in a database since 1989. The database contains information about the patients’medical history, clinical variables and details on surgery, histology and follow-up. Patients with diabetes had a medical history of diabetes, independent of their treatment.
For the present study, patients with recurrent pHPT, secondary hyperparathyroidism, ongoing or prior lithium medication, multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndrome, familial hyperparathyroidism, familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, parathyroid carcinoma and a follow-up time of < 12 months were excluded.
Outcome
Cure was defined as calcium levels below the upper level for normocalcemia (ionised calcium < 1.35 mmol/L (< 5.40 mg/dL) or total serum calcium < 2.50 mmol/L (10.0 mg/dL) 12 months after surgery, regardless of PTH values. Routine follow-up is conducted at 4 weeks and 12 months after surgery.
Persistent disease was defined as hypercalcemia within 12 months from date of surgery. Recurrent disease was defined as hypercalcemia that occurred more than 12 months after surgery.
MGD was defined as (a) more than one enlarged parathyroid gland excised at surgery and confirmed by histopathology regardless of cure or (b) when the patient remained hypercalcemic after the excision of a single enlarged parathyroid gland, confirmed by histopathology.
SGD was defined as cured after the excision of one pathological gland.
Preoperative localisation studies
All patients with pHPT, referred to our unit are routinely referred to ultrasound of the neck and sestamibi scintigraphy. The results of the scintigraphic studies were encoded as nominal data; positive for SGD, negative or missing.
Sestamibi scintigraphy was introduced for routine use in our department between 1994 and 1995. Due to the lack of radiologic expertise, the access to neck ultrasound was significantly limited during the study period.
Biochemistry
The following biochemical markers were analysed preoperatively: calcium, ionised calcium, PTH, phosphate, ALP, osteocalcin, urinary calcium (U-Ca), 25(OH)D3, fasting blood glucose and iohexol clearance.
Serum ionised calcium concentrations (reference range 1.15–1.35 mmol/L; 4.60–5.40 mg/dL) were analysed from blood samples normalized to pH 7.4 with the ion-selective electrode ABL 505 (Radiometer, Copenhagen, Denmark). The method has a coefficient of variation (CV) of < 1% at an assigned value of 1.27 mmol/L. Levels of total serum calcium (reference range 2.20–2.50 mmol/L; 8.80–10.0 mg/dL) were measured by a routine laboratory analyzer.
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was measured bichromatically at 450 and 480 nm at an alkaline pH, reference range 0.60–1.8 μmol/L (35.9–107.8 U/L). The CV for this method is 6.9% at 0.57 μmol/L.
Phosphate was measured bichromatically at 340 and 700 nm. The concentration was determined by the difference in absorbance. The reference range was 0.8–1.5 mmol/L (2.48–4.64 mg/dL). The method has a CV of 5.8% at 0.7 mmol/L.
Osteocalcin was measured through one-step immunometric sandwich assay using ElectroChemiLuminiscence Immunoassay based on a derivate of Reuthenium (Ru). The reference range was 10–43 μg/L (adults). The CV for this method is 3% at 19 μg/L.
Urinary calcium (U-Ca) was measured after the formation of calcium complexes in two steps, with 5-nitro-5′-metyl-BAPTA (NM-BAPTA) followed by EDTA. The sum of ionised calcium and calcium complexes was measured bichromatically at 376 and 340 nm. The method has a CV of 1.2% at 1.8 mmol/L and 1.0% at 2.6 mmol/L. No reference range exists for U-Ca, but for tU-Ca the range is 2.5–7.5 mmol/24 h (10.0–30 mg/dL).
Plasma parathyroid hormone, PTH, was analysed by an assay for intact PTH (Hitachi Modular –E), with a reference range of 1.6–6.9 pmol/L (15.1–65.1 ng/L). The analysis had a total CV of 5.9% at 100 pmol/L. On 20 March 2000, the method was changed to an assay for intact PTH (Hitachi Modular –E), with a reference range 1.6–6.9 pmol/L. Due to the change of methods, a correction algorithm was used between the old and new values: new value = 1.4 × old value = 0.2, as defined by the Department of Clinical Chemistry at Lund University Hospital.
High-performance liquid chromatography was used for assessment of the level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, (25(OH)D3). The CV for 25(OH)D3 is 15% at 50 nmol/L.
The glomerular filtration rate (GFR), was determined by a technique that measures renal clearance of the contrast agent iohexol. The average value for young healthy subjects is 127 mL/min with a reduction in subjects older than 55. In 65-year-old subjects, the expected GFR is approximately 80 mL/min.
Bone mineral density
Since 1994, bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (L2–L4), the femoral neck and shaft, and distal third of the radius has been investigated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). In this study, measurements were made with Lunar Expert XL equipment, software version 1.72 (Lunar Corp, Madison, Wis). The method has a CV of 1%. Bone mineral density is expressed in grams per square centimeter (g/cm2) and as age- and gender-specific standard deviations (Z-scores).
Bone densitometry was carried out preoperatively giving a BMD Z-score for the lumbar spine, femoral neck and distal 1/3 of the radius.
Missing data
Continuous variables with less than 10 % missing values, except for values of ionised calcium, had missing values replaced with the median [13]. This was done for phosphate, ALP and PTH. For missing values of ionised calcium, a conversion factor (ionised ca/total calcium) was calculated, using values of total calcium, which had no missing data. Osteocalcin, U-Ca, 25(OH)D3, iohexol clearance and BMD Z-score each had more than 10 % missing values. These variables were categorized into tertiles, with ‘missing’ as a separate category.
Neck ultrasonography was performed on less than half of the patients due to the lack of radiological expertise and therefore, we opted not to include information on ultrasonography in the study.
Statistical analysis
All variables were checked for normality, using histograms and box plots. The cohort was analysed and stratified as SGD or MGD. Medians with interquartile range (IQR) were calculated for continuous data in the two subgroups. Continuous data were compared using the two-sample Student’s t test and the Mann-Whitney U test for normal and skewed distributions where appropriate. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to compare categorical data between groups. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were developed to identify preoperative factors independently associated with MGD. The following independent variables were included in the analysis: gender, positive scintigraphy (yes or no), diabetes (yes or no), age, ionised calcium, phosphate, ALP, PTH, U-Ca, osteocalcin, iohexolclearance, 25(OH)D3, and BMD Z-score for the radius. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All tests were two-tailed. STATA Special Edition version 13.1 was used.