Utility of measuring serum parathyroid hormone-related protein concentration in leukemic patients with hypercalcemia for assessing disease status.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate serum parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) as a marker of hypercalcemia in leukemic patients.


METHODS
We measured the serum levels of PTHrP, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and calcium in three patients with hypercalcemia due to leukemia.


RESULTS
Serum levels of PTHrP, LDH and calcium were elevated at admission in all patients, and these levels were reduced to within the normal range after chemotherapy. However, normalization of serum PTHrP concentration occurred more rapidly than normalization of serum LDH levels after chemotherapy. The increase in serum PTHrP concentration accompanied leukemic cell proliferation and preceded the increases in serum LDH and calcium. Serum LDH concentration increased, but serum PTHrP concentration did not after administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that serum PTHrP may be a more useful marker than serum LDH or calcium in assessing the status of leukemic patients with hypercalcemia.
Department of Internal Medicine, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
N
N
Oda
A
A
Nakai
R
R
Hayashi
N
N
Hayakawa
M
M
Hamada
K
K
Kojima
M
M
Tsuzuki
T
T
Matui
M
M
Ino
M
M
Hirano
K
K
Iwase
M
M
Itoh
A
A
Nagasaka
D015415:Biomarkers; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000097:blood*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values
D015415:Biomarkers; C470121:PTHLH protein, human; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D011506:Proteins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D002118:Calcium