Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026
11:30
A Semi-Automated and Reproducible Biological-Based Method to Quantify Calcium Deposition In Vitro
Published on: June 2, 2022
Calcium supplements lower bone resorption after renal transplant
Raymond W Yu1, Randall J Faull, P Toby H Coates
1Department of Nephrology and Transplantation Services, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Clinical Transplantation
|August 23, 2011
Summary
Calcium supplementation effectively reduces parathyroid hormone (PTH) and bone resorption markers in renal transplant recipients. This intervention addresses prevalent calcium malabsorption and low vitamin D, offering a potential low-cost therapy for bone loss.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Endocrinology
- Bone Metabolism
Background:
- Bone loss is a significant complication in renal transplant (RT) patients, starting in end-stage kidney disease and continuing post-transplant.
- Suppression of parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a potential strategy to mitigate bone loss and reduce fracture rates in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of calcium supplementation on bone metabolism markers and PTH levels in renal transplant recipients.
- To assess calcium absorption, dietary intake, and vitamin D status in RT patients.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 30 RT patients.
- Measurements included bone density scans, vertebral X-rays, calcium absorption tests, and serum markers (PTH, CTX, 25[OH]D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3).
- Patients received 500 mg elemental calcium daily for seven days, with repeated serum measurements.
Main Results:
- Calcium load significantly decreased PTH (p<0.01) and CTX (p<0.01).
- Dietary calcium, absorption, and urinary excretion were below recommended levels.
- Low 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) was observed, while 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 levels were normal. Calcium absorption correlated with PTH changes, baseline 25[OH]D, and mycophenolate dose.
Conclusions:
- Calcium malabsorption is common in RT recipients, exacerbating bone loss.
- Calcium supplementation can help correct deficiencies and acutely suppress PTH.
- Calcium may represent an effective and economical therapeutic option for managing bone loss in RT patients.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Urinary Tract Calculi IV: Nutrition Therapy and Prevention
Management of renal calculi focuses on effective strategies like tailored nutrition and hydration therapy. Adjusting diet and fluid intake reduces stone formation and recurrence, making these interventions simple yet powerful in kidney stone prevention and management.Understanding Kidney StonesKidney stones form when calcium, oxalate, uric acid, and cystine concentrate and crystallize in urine. Factors contributing to their formation include genetic predisposition, certain medical conditions,...
01:31Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Osteoclasts are cells responsible for bone resorption and remodeling. They originate from hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Numerous progenitor cells fuse to form multinucleated cells, each with 10-20 nuclei. A single osteoclast has a diameter of 150 to 200 µM. These cells have ruffled borders that break down the underlying bone tissue and release minerals such as calcium into the blood in bone resorption. Osteoclasts cling to bones with their ruffled edges during bone...
01:16Kidney Transplant III: Nursing Management
Postoperative Nursing Management for Kidney Transplant PatientsPostoperative nursing management care includes monitoring the surgical site, encouraging early movement, and promoting lung health through breathing exercises. Nurses also administer prescribed medications like H2-blockers, such as famotidine, or proton pump inhibitors, like omeprazole, to help prevent gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding. Fungal infections in the mouth and bladder can result from immunosuppressive and antibiotic...
01:21Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
Calcium is not only the most abundant mineral in bone but also the most abundant mineral in the human body. Calcium ions are needed for bone mineralization, tooth health, heart rate regulation and strength of contraction, blood coagulation, the contraction of smooth and skeletal muscle cells, and the regulation of nerve impulse conduction. The average calcium level in the blood is about 10 mg/dL. When the body cannot maintain this level, a person will experience hypo or hypercalcemia.
01:17Hormones and Bone Tissue
The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
01:40Bone Remodeling
Bone remodeling is a continuous and balanced process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. In adults, it helps maintain bone mass and calcium homeostasis. While mechanical stress can stimulate turnover as part of the normal maintenance and reparative process, several hormones also regulate bone remodeling.