Plasma levels of parathyroid hormone (1-84) whole molecule and parathyroid hormone (7-84)-like fragments in pseudohypoparathyroidism type I.

PTH (7-84) has antagonistic effects on the calcemic and phosphaturic actions of PTH (1-84) whole molecule (bioPTH). Human plasma contains bioPTH and PTH (7-84)-like fragments. Using bioPTH-specific and nonspecific assays, we found that the patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) type I with PTH-resistant hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia had the increased plasma levels of bioPTH and PTH (7-84)-like fragments than normal subjects (26.8 +/- 13.2 vs. 2.37 +/- 0.75 pmol/liter, P < 0.01 and 16.2 +/- 8.8 vs. 0.82 +/- 0.47 pmol/liter, P < 0.01, respectively). Calcitriol treatment increased phosphaturic response to PTH (1-34) (P < 0.05), and there was a negative correlation between phosphaturic response and the PTH levels (P < 0.05). These results suggested that the increased bioPTH and PTH (7-84)-like fragment levels may be related to the impaired phosphaturic response to PTH (1-34) in PHP type I. We also examined bioPTH-calcium dynamics in PHP type Ib patients and found that set-point calcium was 0.928 +/- 0.045 mmol/liter and the baseline to maximal ratio of bioPTH was 0.96 +/- 0.04. Calcitriol treatment increased set-point calcium to 1.129 +/- 0.028 mmol/liter (P < 0.01) and suppressed baseline to maximal ratio of bioPTH to 0.35 +/- 0.21 (P < 0.01). These bio-PTH calcium dynamics studies revealed the maximally stimulated baseline PTH secretion in PHP type Ib and demonstrated the effects of calcitriol on PTH-calcium curve shift and the degree of relative stimulation of baseline secretion.