POSTNATAL INCREASE OF SERUM CALCITONIN (CT) CONCENTRATION: NO CONTRIBUTION TO NEONATAL HYPOCALCFMIA (NHC) IN INFANTS OF DIABETIC MOTHERS (IOM's)

Abstract

It has been suggested that high serum CT concentrations may contribute to NHC in IDM's. Since the role of CT in Ca metabolism in humans is questionable/ we hypothesized that increased CT occurs after birth in a similar fashion in IDM's and control infants, and that serum CT does not correlate with serum calcium (Ca). 46 full term IBM's (class B-RT) were compared to 31 controls. Control infants were born after normal pregnancies, labors and deliveries. Samples were taken from cord blood and at age 24hrs for measurement of Ca, magnesium (Mg), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and CT. Repeated measures analysis showed the following: Increasing serum Mg, PTH, and CT, and decreasing serum Ca concentration over time. However, the decrease in serum Ca concentration (mg/dl) was more marked in the diabetic group than in the control group (p<0.01). The increase in serum CT concentration (m±SEM, pg/ml) was similar in the 2 groups (from 42+10 (cord) to 229±35 (24 hr) in IDM's vs 58±19 to 220±28 in controls). There were no differences in cord or 24 hrs serum concentrations of Mg, PTH, and CT between groups. In a multiple regression analysis model including all subjects, Ca correlated with PTH (P<0.02, R2=0.25) but not with CT. We conclude that 1) serum CT increases after birth irrespective of the rate of decrease of serum Ca in both IDM's and controls; 2) high CT concentrations observed after birth (as compared to adult norms) do not play a role in the pathogenesis of NHC in IDM's.

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