Bone mineral changes in acute metabolic acidosis due to acute gastroenteritis.

We studied bone mineral metabolism changes complicated by acute gastroenteritis in a clinical acute metabolic acidosis milieu where we observed hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, and elevated urinary hydroxyproline excretion. Serum magnesium and plasma osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and IGF-1 levels were decreased. No significant changes in serum inorganic phosphate and plasma PTH, calcitonin, or 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 levels were detected. All abnormalities disappeared with the correction of acidosis. Observed hypercalcemia seems to be the result of increased calcium efflux from bone due to metabolic acidosis-induced catabolism of type 1 collagen and decreased osteoblastic activity. This study provides data regarding acute metabolic acidosis-induced changes in noninvasive parameters of bone modeling, assessed for the first time in humans.