title: Altered calcium-binding ability of plasma proteins as the cause of hypocalcemia in lepromatous leprosy.
abstract: This paper reports a study performed on 10 lepromatous leprosy outpatients and on the same number of age- and sex-matched contacts. All of the lepromatous patients were hypocalcemic, but plasma levels of ionized calcium and the acid-base status were normal. The average daily food intake assessed through a questionnaire revealed adequate nutrition of patients and controls. Plasma proteins and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and intestinal absorption of calcium were discarded as the causes of the hypocalcemia. In vitro experiments designed to investigate the effect of hydrogen ion concentration on the equilibrium between calcium ion and proteins revealed that, at normal pH values, plasma proteins from lepromatous leprosy patients bind a smaller fraction of total plasma calcium than those from controls. This phenomenon produces a normal concentration of ionized calcium that determines a normal parathyroid status as indicated by the normal urinary excretion of hydroxyproline and plasma concentrations of alkaline phosphatase (total and bone isoenzyme) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biologia Osea, Facultad de Medicina, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Bottasso
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lehrer
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Puche
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000652:urine; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000209:etiology*; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011485:Protein Binding; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D012709:Serum Albumin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D002112:Calcifediol; D006909:Hydroxyproline; D002118:Calcium