Elevated parathyroid hormone 44-68 in idiopathic calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease. Role of menopause and iron metabolism?

Objective: To examine whether idiopathic calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease (CDD) is related to altered parathyroid hormone (PTH) metabolism.

Methods: Forty-two patients with idiopathic CPPD CDD were compared with 67 controls, 33 of whom were matched for age and sex.

Results: Serum PTH 44-68 concentrations were elevated in 29% of patients and were significantly higher in the patients than in their sex- and age-matched controls (Z = -4.

[Iron overload and arthropathy].

Arthropathy is a major and distinctive manifestation of hemochromatosis, resembling degenerative joint disease with involvement of unusual articular sites, almost identical to the arthropathy in calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals deposition disease (chondrocalcinosis), associated with osteoporosis. Hemochromatosis is the clinical condition of iron overload; it can be genetic or secondary. It is important to know how to diagnose early genetic hemochromatosis since it is a frequent, life-threatening and treatable condition.

Sigma ESR: an erythrocyte sedimentation rate adjusted for the hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration.

The aim of the study was to simplify the first Sigma erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) method (manual hematocrit adjustment to 0.35, sum of 4 sedimentation levels) and to confirm its clinical relevance. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate of undiluted blood samples from 576 patients was measured simultaneously with and without manual hematocrit adjustment to 0.