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Handling of induced hypercalcaemia in children with rheumatic and rheumatoid affections
Insights
Children with rheumatic and rheumatoid diseases handle induced hypercalcemia better than healthy children. Calcium retention and adrenal cortex stimulation suggest calcium infusion may aid treatment for these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Endocrinology
- Calcium Metabolism
Background:
- Rheumatic and rheumatoid diseases affect children, impacting calcium regulation.
- Understanding calcium metabolism is crucial for managing pediatric inflammatory conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of induced hypercalcemia in children with rheumatic and rheumatoid diseases.
- To assess calcium retention and hormonal responses to calcium infusion in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Induction of hypercalcemia in pediatric patients with rheumatic/rheumatoid conditions and healthy controls.
- Measurement of calcium retention and urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17 OH C.S.).
Main Results:
- Rheumatic and rheumatoid patients demonstrated improved tolerance to induced hypercalcemia compared to controls.
- A higher percentage of infused calcium was retained in patients, potentially due to increased calcitonin activity.
- Urinary 17 OH C.S. levels increased, suggesting adrenal cortex stimulation.
Conclusions:
- Calcium infusion appears to be an effective adjunctive therapy for rheumatic and rheumatoid affections in children, provided no contraindications exist.
- The findings highlight altered calcium handling and endocrine responses in pediatric rheumatic diseases.
Abstract:
Induced hypercalcemia in rheumatic and rheumatoid children revealed the following : 1. Rheumatic and rheumatoid patients deal more effectively with induced hypercalcemia than control children. 2. A higher percentage of infused calcium in these patients is retained. This may by due to higher calcitionin activity relative to controls. 3. Induced hypercalcemia resulted in an increase in urinary 17 OH C.S. This is suggested to be due to stimulation of the adrenal cortex. These findings suggest that calcium infusion is an effective additional measure in the treatment of rheumatic and rheumatoid affection in the absence of contraindication to calcium.