Response to an oral calcium load in nephrolithiasis patients with fluctuating parathyroid hormone and ionized calcium levels

The response to an oral calcium load test was assessed in 17 hypercalciuric nephrolithiasis patients who presented elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) irrespective of the ionized calcium (sCa(2+)) levels. Blood samples were collected at baseline (0 min) and at 60 and 180 min after 1 g calcium load for serum PTH, total calcium, sCa(2+), and 1.25(OH)(2)D-3 determinations. According to the sCa(2+) level at baseline, patients were classified as normocalcemic (N = 9) or hypercalcemic (N = 8). Six healthy subjects were also evaluated as controls. Bone mineral density was reduced in 14/17 patients. In the normocalcemic group, mean PTH levels at 0, 60 and 180 min (95 +/- 76, 56 +/- 40, 57 +/- 45 pg/ml, respectively) did not differ from the hypercalcemic group (130 +/- 75, 68 +/- 35, 80 +/- 33 pg/ml) but were significantly higher compared to healthy subjects despite a similar elevation in sCa(2+) after 60 and 180 min vs baseline in all 3 groups. Mean total calcium and 1.25(OH)(2)D-3 were similar in the 3 groups. Additionally, we observed that 5 of 9 normocalcemic patients presented a significantly higher concentration-time curve for serum PTH (AUC(0',60',180')) than the other 4 patients and the healthy subjects, suggesting a primary parathyroid dysfunction. These data suggest that the individual response to an oral calcium load test may be a valuable dynamic tool to disclose a subtle primary hyperparathyroidism in patients with high PTH and fluctuating sCa(2+) levels, avoiding repeated measurements of both parameters.