Measurement of whole body calcium in chronic renal failure: effects of 1alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 and parathyroidectomy.

In vivo neutron activation analysis was used to measure changes in whole body calcium in patients with chronic renal failure. Eight patients, not treated by haemodialysis, showed losses of calcium in contrast to increases noted in twenty-one patients treated by haemodialysis. Changes in whole body calcium were independent of pre-existing renal bone disease. Treatment of bone disease by total parathyroidectomy (six patients) or 1alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 (eleven patients) resulted in large increases in total body calcium. In patients given 1alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3, changes in total body calcium correlated with histological and radiological indices of response but variable changes in forearm bone mineral content were observed. Neutron activation analysis provides a convenient method for measuring skeletal mass and may also be useful in the assessment of response to 1alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 of patients with osteitis fibrosa and osteomalacia.