Parathyroid hormone-related protein in hypercalcaemia associated with haematological malignancy

Abstract

The incidence of hypercalcaemia and its association with humoral mechanisms involving parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), parathyroid hormone (PTH), or 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D were assessed in a prospective study of patients admitted to a clinical haematology unit. Hypercalcaemia was detected in 15/165 patients, and was due to primary hyperparathyroidism in 3/17 patients in whom results of humoral mediator assessments were obtained. In the other patients, hypercalcaemia was associated in nine instances with myeloma, in five with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and in one with myeloid neoplasia. No evidence was obtained of a humoral mechanism involving 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D, but eleva..