Studies on the Measurement of Vitamin D Derivatives in Human Plasma

Plasma concentrations of vitamin D3, 25-OH-D3, 24, 25(OH)2D3 and 1, 25(OH)2D3 were measured in patients with various diseases using the multiple assay system previously reported. In patients with hyperparathyroidism, the plasma levels of 1, 25(OH)2D3 tended to increase, while the levels of 24, 25(OH)2D3 tended to decrease in many cases. On the other hand, plasma 1, 25(OH)2D3 levels were low, while 24, 25(OH)2D3 levels were high in patients with hypoparathyroidism. No significant differences in the levels of plasma D3 derivatives among idiopathic-, postoperative- and pseudo- hypoparathyroidism were observed. In a majority of hemodialyzed patients with advanced renal failure who showed no overt bone changes on X-ray films, both the plasma 1, 25(OH)2D3 and 24, 25(OPH)2D3 levels were distributed from normal to very low. In a majority of patients with osteoporosis and hypoparathyroidism, plasma 1, 25(OH)2D3 levels rose quickly after the administration of 1 alpha-OH-D3. In hypophosphatemic vitamin D resistant rickets, however, the response to the relatively large amounts of 1 alpha-OH-D2 was poor, although the concentrations of plasma 24, 25(OH)2D3 were elevated by the 1 alpha-OH-D3 administration in most of these cases. The plasma 1, 25(OH)2D3 and 24, 25(OH)2D3 concentrations in patients with senile osteoporosis were distributed from lower to higher range than those of normal adults. There was a relatively good correlation between plasma levels of 25-OH-D3 and D3 only in cases with plasma D3 levels higher than 5 ng/ml. In addition, a hyperbolic regression curve was obtained between the plasma D3 and 25-OH-D3 ratio. These results may indicate that a possible negative feedback homeostatic mechanism exists between plasma levels of D3 and 25-OH-D3, but only with low plasma levels of D3.