Hypercalcaemia in melanoma patients associated with increased levels of parathyroid hormone-related protein.
We analysed serum levels of calcium and parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rP) in 59 patients with melanoma by immunoradiometric assay, since only a few studies have been conducted on hypercalcaemia and serum levels of PTH-rP in patients with melanoma. Hypercalcaemia was found in seven of the 59 patients with melanoma. The serum level of PTH-rP was increased in three of the 59 patients and two of the three showed hypercalcaemia. All the patients with hypercalcaemia and/or an increased level of PTH-rP had stage IV melanoma. These findings suggest that hypercalcaemia is much more common than previously reported in patients with advanced stage melanoma and that an increased serum level of PTH-rP is one of the causative factors in hypercalcaemia in melanoma. Analysis of the serum PTH-rP level will contribute to the monitoring of the clinical course of patients with advanced stage melanoma.
Kageshita
T
T
Department of Dermatology, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan. toshiro@kaiju.medic.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Matsui
T
T
Hirai
S
S
Fukuda
Y
Y
Ono
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
C470121:PTHLH protein, human; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D011506:Proteins