Calcitonin Levels in Chronic Renal Disease

Abstract

High levels of serum calcitonin were found in patients with chronic renal failure. Serum calcitonin correlated directly with the phosphate to toal Ca ratio; calcitonin levels correlated inversely with serum Ca in those patients on dialysis and directly with serum Ca in nondialysis patients. All patients had elevated serum gastrin. The high levels of serum calcitonin usually decreased following successful kidney transplantation. The pathophysiology of this hypercalcitonemia and its relationship to renal osteodystrophy and the disordered Ca metabolism of uremia remains unknown.