Treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in ESRD: a 2-year, single-center crossover study

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a common complication of chronic kidney disease. The management of SHPT commonly involves vitamin D, either calcitriol or newer analogs (paricalcitol or doxercalciferol), along with dietary phosphorus restriction and phosphate binding agents. Published reports have suggested that treatment with paricalcitol in hemodialyzed (HD) patients offers a morbidity or mortality advantage in comparison with treatment with calcitriol. We have recently reported that switching from calcitriol to paricalcitol resulted in a lower serum calcium and calcium-phosphorus product (Ca x P product), as well as lower parathyroid hormone (PTH) and alkaline phosphatase during 6 months of serial treatment. We converted all HD patients in our large urban dialysis center from calcitriol to paricalcitol using a 1:3 conversion ratio, on the basis of published data. Comparisons of individual patient mean biochemical values, as well as episodes of hypercalcemia and elevated Ca x P product, were made after adjusting for equivalent doses. In addition, we recorded the number of missed doses during two years of therapy. No patient in this study had received a calcimimetic before or during the study period. Fifty-nine patients were treated with calcitriol for at least 12 months and then completed 12 months of paricalcitol. Conversion from calcitriol to paricalcitol resulted in lower serum calcium (P=0.0003), lower serum phosphorus (P=0.027), lower Ca x P product (P=0.003), reduced PTH (P=0.001) and reduced serum alkaline phosphatase (P=0.0005). Most dramatically, there was a highly significant difference in the number of missed doses (P<0.0001) during the treatments. This 2-year single-center study, comparing long-term calcitriol with paricalcitol treatment in the same HD patients, extends our previous findings, offers new information regarding single episodes of potentially adverse biochemical effects related to vitamin D therapy, and provides several clues that may explain the outcome advantages suggested by previously published retrospective analyses of large dialysis provider-pooled databases.