Serum ionized calcium, parathyroid hormone and phosphate in uremic patients during and between hemodialysis

The serum concentrations of actual ionized calcium (at actual pH), adjusted ionized calcium (at pH 7.4), pH, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) and phosphate were studied in ten patients during and between two hemodialysis sessions using a dialysate containing 1.66 mmol/l of calcium. Actual ionized calcium and adjusted ionized calcium increased during hemodialysis from 1.19 to 1.38 and 1.43 mmol/l, respectively (mean values) and returned to predialysis values within five and nine hours postdialysis. Serum PTH decreased from 165 ng/l to 55 ng/l (median values) during hemodialysis but two-hour postdialysis the level did not differ significantly from the predialysis level. Serum phosphate decreased from 2.05 mmol/l to 1.11 mmol/l during hemodialysis, and increased slowly towards the predialysis level. The level of pH increased from 7.40 to 7.47 during hemodialysis and reached predialysis level after nine hours. In a multivariate analysis including actual and adjusted ionized calcium, pH, phosphate and PTH, only actual or adjusted ionized calcium was associated with the level of PTH. We conclude that the effect of dialysate calcium on the levels of ionized calcium and PTH is of very short duration postdialysis.