Serum parathyroid hormone levels in active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Abstract

Hypercalcaemia in active pulmonary tuberculosis - more often encountered during treatment - is a well known laboratory finding (Abbasi et al. 1979, Need et al. 1980, Kitrou et al. 1982). However the mechanism (s) of this hypercalcaemia has not been elucidated. It has been suggested (Abbasi et al. 1979, Kitrou et al. 1982) that vitamin D overactivity might be involved, as in sarcoidosis (Papapoulos et al. 1979). The finding that serum inorganic phosphorus concentration is increased parallel to calcium (Abbasi et al. 1979, Kitrou et al. 1982) favours this hypothesis. It was found, however, that intestinal calcium absorption decreases significantly during treatment of tuberculosis (Singhellakis et al. 1983). In view of this finding the hypothesis of vitamin D overactivity seems highly improbable, since this condition would be expected to be associated with an increase in intestinal calcium absorption. Although the increase in serum inorganic phosphorus rendered improbable the involvement of parathyroid hormone