Abstract
Differential counts of osteocytes were performed in human cortical femoral bone of 40 patients with chronic renal failure and of 40 patients without skeletal disease. In undecalcified ground sections (50–70 µ) stained with basic fuchsine, osteocytes were differentiated into small (=neutral) osteocytes, enlarged (=metabolically activated) osteocytes and empty lacunae (=dead osteocytes). In uremia the fraction of activated cells and of empty lacunae is markedly increased, whereas the fraction of small neutral osteocytes is reduced. These findings are somewhat more pronounced in Haversian than in interstitial bone. The activated osteocytes are randomly distributed in Haversian systems and do not accumulate in the outer and older parts of individual osteones of uremic or nonuremic subjects. These findings are presumably caused by elevated serum parathyroid hormone levels, which lead to increased activation of osteocytes. Activation of osteocytes may induce shortening of osteocyte survival time.
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