Bone markers in the diagnosis of low turnover osteodystrophy in haemodialysis patients

Abstract

Intact PTH and several relatively new bone markers are of certain value in the non-invasive diagnosis of renal osteodystrophy. However some of the humoral markers carry the same quality of information and the use of intact PTH and BALP may be adequate in the discrimination of bone histologic patterns. In cases exempt from liver disease, PTH and AP may be used as a less costly alternative. Bone biopsy could be chiefly limited to cases with borderline humoral values and to all those with a suspected aluminium overload.