Effect of calcitriol and age on recovery from hypocalcemia in hemodialysis patients

Abstract Calcitriol is used to treat hyperparathyroidism in hemodialysis patients. Calcitriol treatment, either through a reduction in parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels or direct effect on bone, decreases the osteoblast and osteoclast surface and bone formation rate. Our study of 13 hemodialysis patients was designed to evaluate whether calcitriol treatment changed the rate of spontaneous recovery from hypocalcemia induced by a low-calcium dialysis. Calcitriol treatment decreased basal PTH levels from 614 ± 84 to 327 ± 102 pg/mL ( P P v 1.22 ± 0.03 mmol/L, respectively; P v group II, 629 ± 96 pg/mL) and maximal (group I, 1,114 ± 299 pg/mL v group II, 1,425 ± 141 pg/mL) PTH levels. Before calcitriol treatment, the rate of serum ionized calcium recovery from induced hypocalcemia was greater ( P P