Plasma calcitonin in renal osteodystrophy.

Whether calcitonin plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of renal osteodystrophy is not known. Plasma calcitonin-like activity (CLA) was measured by means of an extraction procedure and bioassay in 17 patients with chronic renal failure. Recent bone biopsy data were available for 11 patients. Plasma CLA was found to be in the normal range in the patients studied. There was a positive and strong correlation between plasma calcium and plasma CLA. Chronic dialysis and renal transplantation had no significant effect on plasma CLA. The severity and type of bone lesions did not correlate with plasma CLA. Although plasma calcitonin in chronic renal failure does not appear to be directly related to renal osteodystrophy, normal mobilization of calcitonin may protect the skeleton to some degree from the high levels of parathyroid hormone usually present in such patients.