Serum gastrin and serum calcitonin in patients with chronic renal failure.

The interrelationship between serum gastrin and serum calcitonin concentrations was studied in 73 patients with chronic renal failure. In both haemodialyzed and non-dialyzed patients increased serum concentrations of these hormones were found compared with normal controls. In non-dialyzed patients with creatinine clearance above 10 ml/min a highly significant correlation between serum gastrin and creatinine clearance was found, whereas no correlation was found in patients with creatinine clearance below 10 ml/min. Between serum gastrin and serum calcitonin, a significant positive correlation was found in non-dialyzed patients. These findings may be explained by a relationship between the two hormones or be secondary to a decreased elimination due to the reduced renal function.