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Immunohistochemical Detection of Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein in Human Fetal Epithelia^*

Department of Medicine and St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, St. Vincent’s Hospital Fitzroy, Australia 3065
The Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne Parkville, Australia 3052
The Departments of Pathology Anatomy, University of Melbourne Parkville, Australia 3052
ICRF Haemopoiesis Unit, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital London, EC1A 7BE United Kingdom

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. J. M. Moseley, Department of Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia.

PTH-related protein (PTHrP) is commonly produced by squamous cell carcinomata and is the mediator of the PTH-like features of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. It has also been implicated in calcium regulation during fetal development. In this study immunohistochemical techniques, using rabbit polyclonal antibodies to synthetic PTHrP peptides, have been used to localize PTHrP in human fetal tissues from one fetus of 7 weeks and two of approximately 18 and 20 weeks gestation, respectively, in order to identify sites of potential functional significance.

PTHrP immunoreactivity was identified in epithelia from many sources, including skin, bronchus, pancreas, pharynx, gut, stomach, and renal pelvis. Thyroid and parathyroid glands, which develop from epithelial origins, also stained positive for PTHrP, as did kidney collecting tubules, adrenal tissue, and skeletal and smooth muscle. PTHrP immunoreactivity was also located in developing long bones and calvaria, where it may have relevance in bone turnover during fetal development.

The role of PTHrP at these locations remains to be elucidated, but the identification of specific PTHrP immunoreactivity in fetal epithelia is consistent with PTHrP production by cancers of epithelial origin and supports the hypothesis that PTHrP may have a role in epithelial growth and differentiation.

^* This work was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, Australia.

Received July 30, 1990.

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