Parathyroid hormone results interpretation in the background of variable analytical performance

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) determination is a difficult task. In this paper, we highlight the importance of PTH standardization and the impact of establishing robust reference ranges for the accurate interpretation of PTH results. We also discuss the biological variation of PTH and its impact on the calculation of least significant change (LSC) and on targets for analytical validation of the methods. Finally, we look at the different fragments and forms of PTH that are important in clinical practice.