ANOMALOUS RISE OF SERUM OSTEOCALCIN FOLLOWING DESFERRIOXAMINE TREATMENT IN ALUMINUM INTOXICATION

A patient with impaired renal function, severe osteomalacia and alumin ium intoxication is described. In response to Desferal (desferrioxamin e) treatment, serum osteocalcin rose 8-fold whereas serum alkaline pho sphatase and procollagen I peptide levels changed little. Chromatograp hic separation showed that the measured osteocalcin coeluted with inta ct osteocalcin. The osteocalcin in the serum probably comes from the l iberation of pre-existing osteocalcin from the bone, concomitant with aluminium mobilisation, rather than by stimulation of de novo synthesi s.