Bone demineralization after renal transplantation : contribution of secondary hyperparathyroidism manifested by hypercalcaemia

Renal transplantation patients often present signs and symptoms of bone disease. In a cross-sectional study, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to examine bone mineralization in kidney transplantation patients. The contribution of secondary hyperparathyroidism manifested by hypercalcaemia was assessed. Twenty transplantation patients with long-standing (> 6 months) hypercalcaemia (> 2.6 Ca mmol/l) after transplantation, 21 normocalcaemic transplantation patients, and 20 healthy controls were examined. Bone mass density (BMD) was significantly less in the hypercalcaemic (1.00 +/- 0.1 g/cm2) and in the normocalcaemic groups (1.11 +/- 0.15 g/cm2) compared to the healthy controls (1.17 +/- 0.11 g/cm2). Decreased bone mineralization was evident shortly after transplantation and may well have been present before surgery. Females had less BMD compared to males and their BMD decreased further with age. Kidney transplantation patients with persistent hypercalcaemia comprise a risk group with regard to bone demineralization.