title: The prevalence of hypercalcaemia in pulmonary and miliary tuberculosis--a longitudinal study.
abstract: We studied the prevalence of hypercalcaemia in 34 Chinese patients with pulmonary (n = 32) or miliary (n = 2) tuberculosis. None of these subjects were given vitamin D or calcium supplements. Plasma calcium levels were measured at presentation and at 1- to 2-monthly intervals after treatment. During the 6-month study period, two patients (6%) developed hypercalcaemia (plasma calcium greater than 2.51 mmol/l), as compared to figures of 16% to 28% in the United States and India. By correcting the plasma calcium to a normal albumin, five (15%) of our patients were hypercalcaemic, as compared to a figure of 48% in Greece. Apart from variations in methodology, discrepancies in the reported prevalence of hypercalcaemia in tuberculosis may be due to differences in sun exposure, and vitamin D and calcium intake.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories.
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Shek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014391:Tuberculosis, Miliary / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary