Urinary Calcium Output During Treatment with Acth

Abstract

A report is given of the results of daily urinary calcium determinations under ACTH treatment in 7 patients, three of whom had rheumatoid arthritis, one hypoparathyroidism with calciferol intoxication, one sarcoidosis, one post-menopausal osteoporosis and one essential thrombopenia. Prior to the experiments the urinary calcium output was low in five of these cases, three of the patients showed a rise in the calcium output corresponding to the increase in diuresis, and two showed no changes.

Two patients with a high urinary calcium output showed a marked fall in the calcium excretion which the authors attribute to an increased motor activity which more than counterbalances the possible osteoblast-inhi-biting effect of ACTH.