Influence of pharmacological doses of calcitonin on serum β2 microglobulin concentrationmicroglobulin concentration

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Abstract
The effect has been studied of continuous infusion of calcitonin in 14 hypercalcemic patients and 5 patients with Paget's disease of the bones. In all hypercalcemic patients but one, a good serum calcium lowering effect was obtained. In all subjects there was a significant decrease of serum β2 microglobulin concentration during calcitonin infusion (4.1±3.4 vs 2.9±2.5 mg·1−1;P2 microglobulin, a pronounced decrement of this serum β2 microglobulin was achieved. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the drop in serum calcium concentration and the serum β2 microglobulin concentration before calcitonin infusion (r=0.83;P≤0.01). Urinary β2 microglobulin excretion did not change significantly during calcitonin infusion. These results led to the speculation that the serum calcium lowering effect of calcitonin is not only the result of the direct antiosteoclastic effect of this hormone but that some immunologic modulating effect of calcitonin on the monocyte macrophage system of the bones is contributary to this hypocalcemic effect of calcitonin.