Calcium Homeostasis and Disorders of Calcium Metabolism Flashcards
What pharyngeal pouch is the thymus derived from? What else is derived from the same pouch?
3rd pharyngeal pouch
Vental: Thymus
Dorsal: Lower parathyroids
What are three inhibitors of PTH?
- Calcitriol (think of this as negative feedback)
- Hypomagnesia - important because hypomagnesia is a cause of hypocalcemia, and can be treated with Mg+2 supplements
- Hypercalcemia - via calcium sensing receptor
What causes familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia? What is it characterized by clinically?
Autosomal dominant disorder caused by defect calcium sensing receptor -> higher calcium levels required to suppress PTH release. Gq receptor which is activated to block PTH release.
Causes hypocalciuria and mild hypercalcemia with elevated PTH levels. Usually asymptomatic.
What does an activating mutation of the CaSR cause?
Familial hypercalciuric hypocalcemia (opposite of other)
- > PTH is suppressed at lower calcium levels
- > also called hypoparathyroidism with hypercalciuria
How much sun exposure is required to make adequate amounts of vitamin D3?
10-15 minutes of sun exposure at least 2x per weeks on a major body area
-> very little is needed
What happens to 25-hydroxy-D3 in the absence of PTH? What is the test of choice for testing for vitamin D deficiency?
It is converted to inactive 24,25-hydroxy-D3
Testing for 25-OH-D3 (calcidiol) is the test of choice
What is the net effect of calcitriol on calcium and phosphate levels, and what stimulates its release? What is its effect on bone?
Increases blood calcium and phosphate levels
Release is stimulated by hypophosphatemia and PTH
Stimulates calcium and phosphate resorption from bone as well due to increased bone turnover
What are the three forms of extracellular calcium and which is freely filtered / biologically active?
40% is bound to albumin
10% is complexed to anions like citrate, phosphate, bicarbonate, and lactate
50% is ionized, free calcium
Only the ionized, free calcium is filtered at the glomerulus and is the biologically active amount
How does ionized calcium concentration change with pH?
Alkalosis -> albumin is deprotonated, exposing negative charges -> calcium binds albumin more avidly -> hypocalcemia
Acidosis -> opposite -> hypercalcemia
How do you tell if a patient is hypercalcemic or hypocalcemic depending on albumin changes?
Use this formula:
“Corrected” Total Calcium = Measured Total Ca + 0.8 (4 - measured albumin)
Calcium in mg/dL
Albumin in g/dL
-> basically it’s giving you the total calcium equivalent @ normal albumin which would generate the free calcium the patient is seeing based on their albumin levels.
What is PTHrP and what cancers secrete it?
An unmeasured analog to PTH which was expressed in developing bone, placenta, and fetus
Secreted by: sQuamous cell cancers of lung, head, and neck;
Renal and bladder
Breast and ovarian
Think Q (near P) + urinary + BRCA
What type of receptor is the PTH receptor and why is this clinically relevant?
It is a GalphaS receptor
-> increased urinary cAMP can be measured whenever PTH levels are high and the signalling pathway is working properly
What are the symptoms of hypercalcemia to remember?
- Stones - nephrolithiasis (kidney stones due to hypercalciuria), renal failure (post-renal azotemia)
- Thrones - Polyuria (with volume depletion and dehydration)
- Groans - abdominal discomfort from kidney stones, acute pancreatitis, nausea/vom
- Bones - osteitis fibrosa cystica - see Bosch
- Psychiatric overtones: Coma, altered mental status
- Metastatic calcification (of normal tissues, i.e. nephocalcinosis)
What are the causes of high serum calcium?
- Excess PTH
- Excess calcium ingestion
- Excess vitamin D ingestion
- Accelerated bone resorption
- Decreased renal excretion and dehydration
What are primary, secondary, and tertiary hyper-PTH usually caused by? (not all of these will be associated with elevated serum calcium levels)
Primary - Usually parathyroid adenoma or hyperplasia, less commonly parathyroidism carcinoma.
Secondary - due to hypocalcemia, i.e. renal failure
Tertiary - autonomous hyperparathyroidism from renal disease (nodule becomes autonomous from longstanding secondary)
Give an example of excess calcium causing hypercalcemia?
Ingestion of large amount of milk and antacids which contain calcium carbonate can cause hypercalcemia
What are some conditions which can cause excess vitamin D?
- Vitamin D intoxication
2. Excess endogenous production -> i.e. sarcoidosis, lymphoma (1alpha-hydroxylase activity)
What are some causes of accelerated bone resorption leading to hypercalcemia?
Metastatic cancer - invasive lytic bone lesions
Multiple myeloma or Paget’s disease - lytic bone lesions
Immobilization - bone wasting