Parathyroid hormone-related protein in healthy pregnant women

The object of this study was to determine whether increased circulating levels of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rp) may explain the increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) bioactivity in pregnancy. In 41 healthy pregnant women (age 19–41 years), PTH-rp and corrected calcium levels were measured and compared with those of nonpregnant control women (n=18, age 20–39 years). PTH-rp and corrected calcium levels were significantly higher in pregnant women (PTH-rp 21.9±7.9 pg/ml, P<0.001; corrected calcium 2.38±0.07 mmol/liter, P=0.001) than in nonpregnant women (PTH-rp 10.3±7.8 pg/ml; corrected calcium 2.30±0.10 mmol/liter). Our data indicate that circulating PTH-rp levels may significantly increase in pregnancy, suggesting a possible role of this peptide in the modification of calcium homeostasis in pregnant women.