Renal cyclic adenosine monophosphate: an accurate index of parathyroid function.

Measurement of total urine cyclic 3':5'-adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) only incompletely discriminates between normal, hyperparathyroid, and nonparathyroid hypercalcemic patients. Only a fraction of total urine cyclic AMP is contributed by parathyroid hormone (PTH) action on the proximal nephron (renal cyclic AMP); the remainder is derived from plasma by glomerular filtration. We dtermined total urine and plasma cyclic AMP and PTH (by carboxy-terminal specific radioimmunoassay) in control, hyperparathyroid, nonparathyroid hypercalcemic, and surgically hypoparathyroid patients. Renal cyclic AMP was calculated as total urine cyclic AMP minus the filtered component. Of these determinations, only renal cyclic AMP segregated normal from hyperparathyroid, and hyperparathyroid from nonparathyroid hypercalcemic patients with complete accuracy. These data suggest that measurement of renal cyclic AMP provides an accurate index of parathyroid activity and allows clinical discrimination and appropriate treatment of the sub-groups of patients with malignancy and nonparathyroid hypercalcemia from those with hyperparathyroidism.