Racial Differences in Secondary Hyperparathyroidism

I have recently read an interesting paper by Dr. Seck who had examined the prevalence of CKD-MBD in black African (Senegalese) patients on regular hemodialysis (HD) in a cross-sectional fashion (Nephrol-Urol Mon. 2012; 4(4): 613-616) (1). They showed that 57 out of the 79 patients complicated with CKD-MBD (72%) had a high turnover bone disease with a mean level of 984 pg/mL of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH). Because mean calcium and phosphorous levels were not elevated (8.6 and 4.85 mg/dL), this marked increment of iPTH may be related to racial differences in the regulation of vitamin D-PTH axis