Correlation between mass of parathyroid adenoma and biochemical indicators of bone turnover in patients with primary...

We related the weight of the parathyroid adenoma to biochemical variables of bone turnover in 53 patients submitted to parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.61, p less than 0.01) between iPTH (c-assay) and adenoma weight. No correlations were found between either concentration of circulating iPTH or weight of parathyroid adenoma and severity of skeletal change expressed by total activity of serum alkaline phosphatase and its bone isoenzyme and urinary excretion of hydroxyproline. We conclude that the severity of bone changes in individual patients with primary hyperparathyroidism does not result from the direct tissue effect of a single hormone (parathyroid hormone).