Expression of functional folate receptors by human parathyroid cells.

Background: Human pituitary adenomas express folate receptors (FR); therefore, we hypothesized that parathyroid (PT) tumors also might express FR, whereas normal human thyroids might not. The purpose of our study was to characterize the functionality of FRs on human PT tumors, with the goal of developing an imaging tool that would concentrate in PT more than in the thyroid.

Methods: Human PTs and thyroids were evaluated for FR expression by immunohistochemistry.