Plasma calcium fractions and the protein-binding of calcium in normal subjects and in patients with hypercalcaemia and hypocalcaemia

Abstract

A study is reported of the estimation of plasma calcium fractions and the calcium-binding affinity of plasma proteins in a total sample of 59 people, which included 29 normal subjects and 30 patients with either hypercalcaemia or hypocalcaemia. It was demonstrated that when the sample was considered as a whole there was a significant correlation between the total plasma calcium concentration and the ultrafiltrable, ionized, and protein-bound calcium fractions and between the ultrafiltrable and ionized fractions. We have also demonstrated that in patients with either hypercalcaemia or hypocalcaemia, including acidotic uraemics, the calcium-binding affinity of the plasma proteins did not differ significantly from that in normal subjects. A significant correlation was also found between the total plasma calcium concentration and the ultrafiltrable, ionized and protein-bound calcium fractions when the normal subjects and the groups of patients with hypercalcaemia and hypocalcaemia due to chronic renal failure were considered as separate groups. The group of patients with hypercalcaemia included patients both with hyperparathyroidism and with hypercalcaemia due to other causes.