Correlations and time course of FGF23 and markers of bone metabolism in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Dialysate calcium concentration is known to have both immediate and longer-term impact on parathyroid hormone levels in hemodialysis patients. Little is known about the acute impact of dialysate calcium on bone metabolism. In this cross-sectional study of prevalent hemodialysis patients, we found no evidence of immediate short-term dialysate calcium-induced changes of fibroblast growth factor 23 or anabolic and catabolic markers of bone turnover during hemodialysis. However, differences in CTX-I and to a lesser extent other parameters between groups of higher and lower dialysate calcium suggest a longer-term effect that remains to be validated.