Parathyroid (PTH) analogs could be an effective method of lowering phosphorus and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study presented at the National Kidney Foundation’s 2014 Spring Clinical Meeting in Las Vegas.
Led by Marta Christov, MD, and colleagues at the Endocrine Unit of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the study examined the use of long-acting PTH, an analog with hypercalcemic and hypophophatemic effects, on mice with and without CKD.
Phosphorus levels decreased by an average of 20% and 35% by 2 and 6 hours after injection in both groups, the researchers reported. Within 24 hours, phosphorus levels had returned to or were above baseline, and FGF-23 levels increased initially but returned to baseline in the mice with CKD. Calcium levels, however, remained elevated in both groups.
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“Use of PTH analogs for phosphorus control in CKD is a plausible strategy, although dose-titration is necessary to avoid hypercalcemia,” the authors concluded.
