Development of sporadic parathyroid tumors is accompanied by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on several chromosomes like 1p, 1q, 6q, 11q, and 15q. Here, we investigate a unique variant of familial hypercalcemia, unrelated to multiple endocrine neoplasia and hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndromes, with hypercalcemia due to a point mutation in the intracellular part of the calcium receptor (CaR) gene. The hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria of the family is accompanied by age-related growth of the parathyroid glands and transition from diffuse to nodular parathyroid hyperplasia. Genome-wide screening for allelic loss was performed on nine enlarged parathyroid glands (weighing 40-680 mg) from eight parathyroidectomized members of the family (aged 22-66 yr). Using 139 fluorescent- or (32)P-labeled microsatellite markers, informative results were obtained on all examined chromosome arms and 1p, 1q, 6q, 11q, and 15q were investigated more closely. All parathyroid glands displayed allelic loss on at least one chromosomal arm (range 1-7). Most of the common loci for allelic loss corresponded to findings in sporadic parathyroid tumors, but the unique variant of familial hypercalcemia also exhibited frequent LOH on 12q (67%) and 7q (44%). LOH could not be detected at 3q, where the CaR gene is located, and additional somatic mutations in exons 2-7 of the CaR gene was not found by sequencing. The point mutation resulting in alteration of the intracellular portion of CaR seems to cause sensitivity to secondary genetic hits, with increased frequency of allelic loss (P < 0.01, r(2) = 0.66) and weight of parathyroid tumors with age in this family.