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Calcitonin Deficiency in Primary Hypothyroidism^*

BODY JACQIES-JEAN, NELLY DEMESSTER-MIRKINE, ALBERT BORKOWSKI, STEFAN SUCIU and JACQUES CORVILAIN

Service de Médecine et Laboratoire d'Investigation Clinique H. J. Tagnonjnstitut Jules Bordet, Centre des Tumeurs de I'Universiteé Libre de Bruxelles Brussels, Belgium
Service de Médecine Hôpital Universitaire Brugmann Brussels, Belgium
E.O.R.T.C. Data Center Brussels, Belgium

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. J. J. Body, Institut Jules Bordet,rue Héger-Bordet 1, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.

The relative lack of sensitivity and specificity of current assays for plasma calcitonin (CT) have made it difficult to study possible CT deficiency conditions. Using a new extraction method that considerably improves the sensitivity of the assay for CT monomer, CT levels were measured before and after a short calcium (Ca) stimulation test (2 mg Ca/kg over 5 min) to determine C-cell secretory reserve in women with autoimmune primary hypothyroidism and normal women. Mean basal plasma CT concentrations were lower in the hypothyroid women [0.9 ±0.1 (±SEM) pg/ml] than in the normal women (1.5 ±0.2 pg/ml; P < 0.01). Serum Ca increased similarly in both groups, but postinfusion CT levels were lower in the women with primary hypothyroidism (3.8 ±1.3 pg/ml) than in normal women (15.9 ±3.0 pg/ml; P < 0.001). The functional thyroid status at the time of the study did not influence CT levels; both hypothyroid patients (n = 10) and patients who were euthyroid during T₄ treatment (n = 11) were CT deficient to the same extent. Unlike that in primary hypothyroidism, CT secretion was normal in four patients with hypothyroidism of pituitary origin.

We conclude that the process that causes hypothyroidism in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease can also cause marked CT deficiency. This first demonstration of spontaneous CT deficiency in adults should contribute to the understanding of CT physiology; it also suggests that bone metabolism should be closely monitored during the treatment of primary hypothyroidism (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 62: 700, 1986)

^* This work was supported by a grant from the Fondation Lefévre and the Banque Nationale de Belgique.

Senior Research Assistant at the National Fund of Scientific Research (Belgium).

Received July 8, 1985.

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