Are there any differences in the parathyroid response in the different types of renal osteodystrophy?

With the purpose of studying the curve of parathyroid response to variations of serum calcium during dialysis, we studied 20 patients on haemodialysis: 10 women and 10 men, with different forms of bone disease diagnosed by bone biopsy (adynamic bone disease, mild hyperparathyroidism, severe hyperparathyroidism). In all patients, we performed parathyroid stimulation by 4 h dialysis with 1 mEq/l of Ca2+ in the dialysate, and an inhibition test in another dialysis session with 4 mEq/l of Ca2+, with a 48 h interval. Ca2+ and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured prior to dialysis and every hour subsequently, to obtain a Ca2+-iPTH for each patient. The analysis of the curves was made using Brown's four-parameter model. Stimulation and inhibition levels were similar in all groups, but basal iPTH and the response profiles obtained varied in the different histological groups. Basal, maximal and minimal iPTH were lower in adynamic forms than in the other two groups (P<0.04), and basal calcium was higher than basal calcium of severe hyperparathyroidism, expressing a basal inhibition status. In severe hyperparathyroidism, basal calcium was lower than the set-point, showing a permanent stimulation, and the slope was higher than in other groups, showing more sensitivity to serum calcium variations. The set-point of severe hyperparathyroidism was significantly higher than the set-point of mild and adynamic forms. In conclusion, the functional parathyroid study showed a different response in the different forms of renal osteodystrophy.