title: [Nucleolar organizer regions of benign pathology of the parathyroids].
abstract: Nucleolar organizer regions (NOR) have DNA loops containing genes that encode for ribosomal RNA; some proteins located near the NORs are argyrophilic and by Ploton's one step method we could quantify the NORs in sections of paraffin embedded tissues. We have evaluated the number of intranuclear dots in 46 parathyroid glands from 18 parathyroidectomies. The glands were weighed and the stromal fat was evaluated by a point-counting method. AgNORs were counted in 100 cells from each gland. The mean count was 3.03 in six adenomas (A), 2.39 in six cases of primary hyperparathyroidism (PH) and 2.63 in six cases of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SH). Statistical analysis performed by Mann-Whitney U test showed that differences between A and PH groups were significant. The difference between A and SH was also significant. The residual parathyroid tissue surrounding the adenoma had a significantly lower AgNOR mean count than adenomatous cells. The AgNOR mean number can be useful in assessing normal or suppressed parathyroid tissue.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Anatomia Patologica, Ospedale Maggiore di Lodi.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colecchia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zucchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prian
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Leopardi
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006961:Hyperparathyroidism / Q000473:pathology; D006962:Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary / Q000473:pathology; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010279:Parathyroid Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016622:Silver Staining
vernacular_title: Le regioni nucleoloorganizzatrici nella patologia benigna delle paratiroidi.