title: Renal potassium wasting in distal renal tubular acidosis: role of aldosterone.
abstract: The pathogenesis of renal potassium wasting and hypokalemia in classic renal tubular acidosis (type 1 RTA) remains uncertain. The prevailing theory is that K(+)-Na+ exchange is stimulated due to an inability of the distal tubule to establish a normal steep lumen-peritubular H+ gradient. We encountered a 42-year-old woman with type 1 RTA associated with Sjögren's syndrome, in whom renal potassium wasting and hypokalemia persisted despite sustained correction of systemic acidosis with alkali therapy and increased intake of potassium. In addition, plasma renin activity was markedly increased and the serum aldosterone level was upper-normal despite the hypokalemia. Increased intake of sodium resulted in suppression on the serum aldosterone and correction of renal potassium wasting and hypokalemia. This case shows that secondary hyperaldosteronism, possibly due to an impairment of sodium conservation in the distal tubule, may contribute to the loss of potassium from the distal tubule even after the correction of acidosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kano
mesh_terms: D000141:Acidosis, Renal Tubular / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000502:physiology*; D000643:Ammonium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000209:etiology; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000209:etiology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D017419:Potassium, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D012964:Sodium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D017419:Potassium, Dietary; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D000643:Ammonium Chloride; D000450:Aldosterone; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium