Restoration of reversed whole PTH/intact PTH ratio and reduction in parathyroid gland vascularity during cinacalcet therapy for severe hyperparathyroidism in a uraemic patient.
Author(s): Komaba H, Shin J, Fukagawa M
Affiliation(s): Division of Nephrology and Kidney Center, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.
Publication date & source: 2010-02, Nephrol Dial Transplant., 25(2):638-41. Epub 2009 Nov 5.
Publication type: Case Reports
Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels measured with the intact PTH assays are generally higher than those measured with the whole PTH assay; however, rare exceptions to this rule have been reported in patients with severe hyperparathyroidism associated with N-PTH overproduction. We report a haemodialysis patient with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism, in whom abnormally higher whole PTH levels than intact PTH levels were normalized during cinacalcet therapy. Moreover, we observed a marked reduction in parathyroid gland vascularity during this treatment. Our findings suggested that increased sensitivity of the parathyroid calcium sensing receptor by calcimimetics may modulate the secretion or truncation of N-PTH or other PTH molecules that can be detected by the whole PTH assay but not by the intact PTH assays.
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