[Hyperparathyroidism secondary to cirrhosis. Arguments supplied by ionized calcium, urinary cyclic AMP and blood N-terminal parathyroid hormone].

A laboratory study including estimation of 25 OH vitamin D, terminal parathormone (PTH) C and N fractions, urinary cyclic AMP (AMP cU) and ionised calcium, was carried out in 25 patients, 10 cases of alcoholic cirrhosis without decompensation (group 1) and 15 cases of decompensated cirrhosis (group 2) in order to seek evidence in favour of hyperparathyroidism secondary to cirrhosis. The results show: 1) The existence of hypovitaminosis D which seems to be independent of the liver failure. 2) A very definite increase in terminal PTH N in group 2 compared with group 1 (p < 0.01), without any increase in terminal C fraction. 3) An insignificant increase in urinary cyclic AMP in group 2 compared with group 1. 4) A low serum ionised calcium in group 2 compared with 14 controls (p < 0.05). The terminal N PTH was correlated significantly with urinary cyclic AMP and ionised calcium. The evidence is in favour of secondary hyperparathyroidism where the ionised calcium plays a role, but one wonders whether other factors do not intervene, e.g. serum iron, owing to the discovery of a significant link between serum iron and terminal N PTH levels.