Elevated serum-calcium and parathormone-levels in HIV afflicted female heroin addicts

Alterations of calcium and bone metabolisms have been observed in numerous studies of small groups of male HIV-infected patients. However, our knowledge regarding the manifestation of AIDS-associated hypoparathyroidism in female subjects is limited. In order to investigate the influence of heroin on the calciotropic hormones we performed a cross-sectional study on 45 female patients with proven HIV infection. The following criteria were used for exclusion from the study: age less than 20/ more than 50 years; confinement to bed; wasting symptoms; treatment with agents containing ketoconazole, renal or hepatic insufficiency; clinical or echographic signs of liver cirrhosis; endocrine diseases, or treatment with drugs known to influence calcium metabolism. A reduced parathormone (PTH) level was found among the female HIV-infected patients. Additional long-term use of heroin resulted in a significant increase of PTH compared to sex- and age matched controls and a second group of non-HIV-afflicted heroin dependent females. Significantly lowered serum magnesium concentrations were found in all three groups. Both serum calcium and urinary excretion of calcium were elevated in the group of HIV-infected heroin addicts and were independent from low vitamin D3 levels (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) and alterations of protein metabolism. Therefore, it is concluded that the changes of PTH secretion are mainly due to mechanisms both of the impaired immune defense of HIV-infected females and the additional effect of opiates.