1. Four women suffering from senile osteoporosis have been treated for 55–60 days with 25 MRC Units per day of porcine thyrocalcitonin with the following metabolic results:
- (a)
slight diminution of plasma, urinary and endogenous faecal calcium levels;
- (b)
slight diminution of plasma phosphate level and urinary phosphate clearance;
- (c)
lowering of serum alkaline phosphatase values;
- (d)
diminution of urinary hydroxyproline excretion;
- (e)
modification of calcium balance toward positive, due to decreased urinary and faecal calcium and to an improvement in intestinal absorption.
2. 47Calcium kinetic studies demonstrated:
- (a)
a slower decline in the specific activity curve after thyrocalcitonin treatment;
- (b)
a slower decline in bone uptake values;
- (c)
a decrease of ‘calcium miscible pool’, ‘calcium turnover rate’, ‘accretion rate’ and ‘resorption rate’ calculated by the method of Aubert & Milhaud (1960).
3. Differences in radiological bone patterns were not observed despite an improvement in the pain after treatment.
