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Twenty-four children with idiopathic absorptive hypercalciuria (IAH) and a control group (CG) of 11 healthy children were studied. Plasma 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol), parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium (Ca) and phosphate (P) levels were measured during dietary manipulation. The three diets analyzed were: (A) calcium-restrictive diet (400 mg/1.73 m2/day) for 7 days; (B) supplemented diet (1,000 mg/1.73 m2/day) for 3 days; (C) supplemented diet continued for 15 days. The IAH group had higher levels of serum calcitriol than the control group for all three diets. Serum calcitriol levels in the IAH group decreased in diet B compared to diet A, and returned to levels observed with diet A during diet C. Serum Ca, P and plasma PTH levels did not vary throughout the study in either group. In IAH, two subgroups were observed. In one, serum calcitriol levels were elevated and in the other, serum calcitriol levels were not different from the controls. This second group had a lower P and maximum rate of tubular reabsorption of phosphate per 100 ml of glomerular filtrate than the IAH group with elevated serum calcitriol levels and the control group. These results suggest that IAH in children may be related both to increased serum calcitriol levels and to an altered Tmp/GFR.

Osteocalcin, the most abundant non-collagen protein of bone, is synthesized by the osteoblast. Serum osteocalcin concentration depends primarily on new cellular synthesis, and is a sensitive marker of bone turnover reflecting osteoblastic function. In uremic and hemodialysis (HD) patients, a direct relationship between serum osteocalcin and histological parameters of bone formation has been observed. The modality of dialysis may influence serum osteocalcin levels though the available data are controversial. The aim of this study is to assess the acute and chronic effects of calcitriol and the influence of modality of dialysis on serum osteocalcin levels. Twelve patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) were treated with calcitriol. For control purposes, 24 patients, 12 on CAPD and 12 on HD, not treated with calcitriol serum osteocalcin levels were included. In CAPD patients previously treated with calcitriol, serum osteocalcin levels were higher than in nontreated patients. The higher levels occur independent of serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), Ca and P. Hemodialysis patients had osteocalcin levels similar to those of CAPD patients under calcitriol treatment. However, the levels of HD patients were higher than CAPD nontreated patients. Serum ionized Ca was similar in CAPD and HD nontreated patients; however, total Ca was significantly higher in HD than in CAPD patients, both with and without calcitriol. After the intravenous administration of calcitriol, serum osteocalcin levels increased from 9.2 + 2.5 to 13.5 + 5.4 ng/ml (p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Given the parallelism in calcium and magnesium metabolisms, we have studied urinary magnesium in normal subjects and in patients with idiopathic hypercalciuria under conditions of basal and restricted diet, fasting, and after oral calcium overload. Serum magnesium values showed no differences between groups. Urinary magnesium levels are increased in absorptive hypercalciuria under free and restricted diet and calcium overload, returning to normal during fasting. Renal hypercalciuria patients maintain a high magnesium excretion under all conditions. This suggests that in idiopathic hypercalciuria there is an impairment of renal magnesium management, dependent on that of calcium because it normalizes when urinary calcium is normal.