title: Prospective comparison of the effects of maxacalcitol and calcitriol in chronic hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism: a multicenter, randomized crossover study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Maxacalcitol is a vitamin D analogue, which is administered intravenously for secondary hyperparathyroidism in dialysis patients as well as calcitriol. However, few dose-comparison clinical studies have been reported for these drugs. The present multicenter, randomized crossover study was conducted to determine the equivalence of maxacalcitol and calcitriol doses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects comprised 31 patients on chronic hemodialysis with secondary hyperparathyroidism who had not received maxacalcitol or calcitriol in the previous 3 months. Patients were randomly divided into two groups, and maxacalcitol or calcitriol was administered in a crossover design for 12 weeks each. Maxacalcitol and calcitriol doses were adjusted based on serum levels of calcium and intact parathyroid hormone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the 12-week maxacalcitol/calcitriol administration, there were no significant differences in levels of calcium (maxacalcitol 2.40+/-0.22 mmol/1 (9.6+/-0.9 mg/dl), calcitriol 2.42 + 0.25 mmol/l (9.7+/-1.0 mg/dl), p = 0.71), phosphate (maxacalcitol 1.97 + 0.42 mmol/l (6.1+/-1.3 mg/dl), calcitriol 2.00+/-0.48 mmol/l (6.2+/-1.5 mg/dl), p = 0.64), intact parathyroid hormone (maxacalcitol 267+/-169 pg/ml, calcitriol 343+/-195 pg/ml, p = 0.11) in serum or other bone-metabolic parameters such as serum alkaline phosphatase. The doses ofmaxacalcitol and calcitriol were 49.3+/-23.7 microg/month and 9.0+/-3.8 microg/month, respectively, and maxacalcitol : calcitriol dose ratio was 5.5: 1. No severe adverse reactions were seen for either maxacalcitol or calcitriol during the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comparable therapeutic efficacy can be obtained in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism using either maxacalcitol or calcitriol at a dose ratio of 5.5 : 1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Kameda Medical Center, 929 Higashi-cho, Kamogawa, Chiba 296-8602, Japan. tmochizuki@kameda.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naganuma
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akiba
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006962:Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014807:Vitamin D; D002117:Calcitriol; C051883:maxacalcitol; D002118:Calcium