Decreased parathyroid hormone levels despite persistent hypocalcemia in patients with kidney failure recovering from septic shock.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Hypocalcemia is a common and poorly understood finding in critically ill patients. The current study was designed to assess the association of ionized calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus and Parathyroid hormone levels in a cohort of patients with and without kidney dysfunction admitted for sepsis or non-infectious causes.

METHODS:

Prospective cohort clinical and biochemical study.

RESULTS:

We confirmed that hypocalcemia and hypovitaminosis D are a common finding in critically ill patients. Parathyroid hormone levels significantly rise in septic shock. In the recovery phase, however, despite persistent hypocalcemia, Parathyroid hormone levels abruptly decrease in patients with kidney dysfunction, but not in patients with normal renal function.

CONCLUSIONS:

The systemic inflammatory response syndrome probably leads to inappropriately high Parathyroid hormone levels during septic shock. In the recovery phase, Parathyroid hormone levels decrease, but calcium levels remain low, displaying evidence that the parathyroid is not responding as expected. Since Parathyroid hormone receptors and calcium-sensing receptors have been described in immune cells and other cell types, we propose that these effects may have a plethora of other deleterious effects, with important implications to the pathogenesis of septic shock.

• Authors: Fabiano Pinheiro da Silva, Fernando Godinho Zampieri, Hermes Vieira Barbeiro, Francisco Torggler Filho, Alessandra Carvalho Goulart, Vanda Jorgetti, Irineu Tadeu Velasco, Luiz Monteiro da Cruz Neto, Heraldo Possolo de Souza
• Journal: Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets (Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets) Vol. 13 Issue 2 Pg. 135-42 (Jun 2013) ISSN: 2212-3873 [Electronic] United Arab Emirates
• PMID: 23270481 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Parathyroid Hormone

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Case-Control Studies
• Cohort Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Hypocalcemia (blood, complications, epidemiology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Parathyroid Hormone (blood)
• Renal Insufficiency (blood, complications, epidemiology)
• Shock, Septic (blood, epidemiology, rehabilitation)