The high incidence of persistent secondary hyperparathyroidism after renal homotransplantation

Sixty-eight patients were observed for a period of up to seven years after transplantation. Serum parathyroid hormone levels were measured in 41 patients; 17 patients had persistent hypercalcemia for a period of from one to seven years. Serum parathyroid hormone levels were elevated in seven of these 17 patients. Serum parathyroid hormone was elevated in 11 of the other 24 patients with normocalcemia. The function of the kidney was not affected either by the state of hypercalcemia or persistent hyperparathyroidism. Aseptic necrosis was significantly present in those of the hypercalcemic group. It is suggested that persistent hypercalcemia is an important precipitating, if not the main, cause of an aseptic necrotic condition of the bones.