Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Calcitonin metabolism in senile (type II) osteoporosis

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Osteoporosis International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The exact role of calcitonin (CT) in the pathogenesis of senile (Type II) osteoporosis remains unknown. Whole plasma calcitonin (iCT) and extracted monomeric calcitonin (eCT) basal levels, metabolic clearance rate (MCR) and production rate (PR) of iCT and eCT were measured in 41 postmenopausal women, including 14 hip fractures (OP II) and 27 healthy controls. No significant difference appeared for basal iCT levels between OP II (mean±SEM: 41.9±3.4 pg/ml) and controls (mean±SEM: 46.2±5 pg/ml). eCT basal levels were similar in OP II (mean±SEM: 5.42±0.5 pg/ml) and in controls (mean±SEM: 7.3±0.7 pg/ml). MCR were similar in the two groups. iCT PR were similar in OP II (mean±SEM: 17.2±1.5 µg/24 h) and controls (mean±SEM: 18.6±1.1 µg/24 h). No difference appeared between eCT PR in OP II (mean±SEM: 2.3±0.2 µg/24 h) and controls (mean±SEM: 3.2±0.3 pg/ml). From these data, no evidence appears that calcitonin might be one of the determinant factors in the pathogenesis of senile osteoporosis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Parfitt AM. Quantum concept of bone remodeling and turnover:implications for the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Calcif Tissue Int 1979; 28:1–5.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Riggs BL Melton LJ. Evidence for two distinct syndromes of involutional osteoporosis. Am J Med 1983; 75:899–901.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Riggs BL, Melton LJ. Involutional osteoporosis. N Engl J Med 1986; 314:1676–86.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Lips P, Courpron P Meunier P. Mean wall thickness of trabecular bone packets in human iliac crest:changes with age. Calcif Tissue Int 1978; 26:13–17.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gallagher JC, Riggs BL, Eisman J, Hamstra A, Arnaud SB, De Luca HF. Intestinal calcium absorption and serum vitamin D metabolites in normal subjects and osteoporotic patients: effect of age and dietary calcium. J Clin Invest 1979; 64:729–36.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Friedman J, Raisz LG. Thyrocalcitonin, inhibitor of bone resorption in tissue culture. Science 1965; 150:1465–7.

    Google Scholar 

  7. O'Riodan JL, Aurbach GD. Mode of action of thyrocalcitonin. Endocrinology 1966; 82:377–83.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bijvoet OLM, Van Der Sluys Veer J, Jensen AP. Effects of calcitonin on patients with Paget's disease, thyrotoxicosis and hypercalcaemia. Lancet 1968; 1:876–81.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Civitelli R, Gonneli S, Zacchei F et al. Bone turnover in postmenopausal osteoporosis; effect of calcitonin treatment. J Clin Invest 1988; 82:1268–74.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Reginster JY, Denis D, Albert A et al. 1-year controlled randomised trial of prevention of early postmenopausal bone loss by intranasal calcitonin. Lancet 1987; 2:1481–3.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Tiegs RD, Body JJ, Wahner HW, Barta J, Riggs BL, Heath H III. Calcitonin secretion in postmenopausal osteoporosis. N Engl J Med 1985; 312:1097–100.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Leggate J, Farish E, Fletcher CD, McIntosh W, Hart DM, Sommerville JM. Calcitonin and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Clin Endocrinol 1984; 20:85–92.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Hurley DL, Tiegs RD, Barta J, Lakkso K, Heath H III. Effects of oral contraceptive and estrogen administration on plasma calcitonin in pre- and postmenopausal women. J Bone Miner Res 1989; 4:89–95.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Chesnut C, Baylink DJ, Sisom K, Nelp WB, Roos BA. Basal plasma immunoreactive calcitonin in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Metabolism 1980; 29:559–62.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Prince R, Dick IM, Price RI. Plasma calcitonin levels are not lower than normal in osteoporotic women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1989; 68:684–7.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Body JJ, Struelens M, Borkowski A. Effects of estrogens and calcium on calcitonin secretion in postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1989; 68:223–6.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Lobo RA, Roy S, Shoupe D et al. Estrogen and progestin effects on urinary calcium and calciotropic hormones in surgical induced postmenopausal women. Horm Metab Res 1985; 17:370–3.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Selby PL, Peacock M, Barkworth SA, Brown WB, Taylor GA. Early effects of ethinyloestradiol and norethisterone treatment in postmenopausal women on bone resorption and calcium regulating hormones. Clin Sci 1985; 69:265–71.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Reginster JY, Deroisy R, Albert A et al. Relationship between whole plasma calcitonin levels, and estrone in healthy women and postmenopausal osteoporotics. J Clin Invest 1989; 83:1073–7.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Taggart HMcA, Ivey JL, Sisom K, Chesnutt CH III, Baylink DJ, Huber MB. Deficient calcitonin response to calcium stimulation in postmenopausal osteoporosis? Lancet 1982; 1:475–8.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Stevenson JC. Regulation of calcitonin and parathyroid hormone secretion by estrogens. Maturitas 1982; 4:1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Galan Galan F, Perez Cano R, Rodrigez R et al. Deficit de calcitonina en la osteoporosis postmenopausica. Med Clin 1985; 85:221–2.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hillyard CJ, Stevenson JC, MacIntyre I. Relative deficiency of plasma calcitonin in normal women. Lancet 1978; 1:961–2.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Morimoto S, Tsuji M, Okada Y, Onishi T, Kumahara Y. The effect of estrogens on human calcitonin secretion after calcium infusion in elderly female subjects. Clin Endocrinol 1980; 13:135–43.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Milhaud G, Bezenech-Lefevre M, Moukhtar MS. Deficiency of calcitonin in age-related osteoporosis. Biomedicine 1978; 29:272–6.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Stevenson JC, Abeyasekera G, Hillyard CJ, Phang KG, MacIntyre I. Calcitonin and the calcium-regulating hormones in postmenopausal women: effect of estrogens. Lancet 1981; 1:693–5.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Stevenson JC, Abeyasekera G, Hillyard CJ et al. Regulation of calcium-regulating hormones by exogenous sex steroids in early postmenopause. Eur J Clin Invest 1983; 13:481–7.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Zseli J, Szücs J, Steczek K et al. Decreased calcitonin reserve in accelerated postmenopausal osteoporosis. Horm Metab Res 1985; 17:696–7.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Perez Cano R, Montoya MJ, Moruno R, Vazquez A, Galan F, Garrido M. Calcitonin reserve in healthy women and patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Calcif Tissue Int 1989; 45:203–8.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Heynen G, Franchimont P. Human calcitonin radioimmunoassay in normal and pathological conditions. Eur J Clin Invest 1974; 4:213–22.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Body JJ, Heath H. ‘Non-specific’ increases in plasma immunoreactive calcitonin in healthy individuals: discrimination from medullary thyroid carcinoma by a new extraction technique. Clin Chem 1984; 30:511–14.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Beringer Tro, Ardhill J Taggart HM. Absence of evidence for a role of calcitonin in the etiology of femoral neck fractures. Calcif Tissue Int 1986; 39:300–3.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Stevenson JC, Allen PR, Abeyasekera G, Hill PA. Osteoporosis with hip fracture: changes in calcium-regulating hormones. Eur J Clin Invest 1986; 16:357–60.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Kanis JA, Heynen G, Cundy T, Cornet F, Paterson A, Russel RGG. An estimate of the endogenous secretion rate of calcitonin in man. Clin Sci 1982; 63:145–52.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Tait JF. Review: the use of isotopic steroids for the measurement of production rates in vivo. Anal Biochem 1978; 90:1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Deftos LJ, Roos BA, Bronzert D Parthemore JG. Immuno-chemical heterogeneity of calcitonin in plasma. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1975; 40:409–12.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Singer FR, Habener JF. Multiple immunoreactive forms of calcitonin in human plasma. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1974; 61:710–16.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Heynen G, Hendrick JC, Franchimont P. Heterogeneity of calcitonin in human serum. In: Norman AW, Schaeffer K, Grigoleit HG, Herrath DV and Ritz E, eds. Vitamin D and problems related to uraemic bone disease. Berlin: E de Gruyter Publ 1976:475–81.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Tiegs RD, Body JJ, Barta JM, Heath H III. Secretion and metabolism of monomeric human calcitonin: effects of age, sex and thyroid damage. J Bone Miner Res 1986; 1:339–49.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Deftos LJ, Weisman MH, Williams GW et al. Influence of age and sex on plasma calcitonin in human beings. N Engl J Med 1980; 302:1351–3.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Lore F, Galli M, Franci B, Martorelli MT. Calcitonin levels in normal subjects according to age and sex. Biomed Pharmacother 1984; 38:261–3.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Pedrazzoni M, Mantovani M, Ciotti G. Calcitonin levels in normal women of various age evaluated with a new sensitive radioimmunoassay. Horm Metab Res 1988; 20:118–19.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Heynen G, Franchimont P. Human calcitonin radioimmunoassay in normal and pathological conditions. Eur J Clin Invest 1974; 4:213–22.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Heath H, Sizemore GW. Plasma calcitonin in normal man: differences between men and women. J Clin Invest 1977; 60:1135–40.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Body JJ, Heath H. Estimates of circulating monomeric calcitonin physiological studies in normal and thyroidectomized men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1983; 57:897–903.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bone Metabolism Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

    J. Y. Reginster, R. Deroisy, M. Bruwier & P. Franchimont

  2. Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, USA

    J. Y. Reginster

Authors
  1. J. Y. Reginster
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Deroisy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Bruwier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. P. Franchimont
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reginster, J.Y., Deroisy, R., Bruwier, M. et al. Calcitonin metabolism in senile (type II) osteoporosis. Osteoporosis Int 2, 141–145 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01623821

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01623821

Keywords

Search

Navigation