The purpose of this study was to compare two different initial dosing schemes for the administration of paricalcitol in hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism: the already in use iPTH/80 scheme, and an iPTH/120 scheme, which corresponds to the immediately lower dose, based on current instructions on paricalcitol dose adjustment. We studied the effectiveness of the two dosing schemes in achieving a target iPTH level (150 - 300 pg/mL)

Adjustment of the initial dose of paricalcitol, in hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT), on the basis of severity of sHPT is generally preferred in current practice. Whether the proposed dose, based on the formula baseline intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH [pg/mL]) divided by 80, is the most appropriate has not been adequately assessed. A trial comparing the iPTH/80 dose to the immediately lower iPTH/120 dose was undertaken. We studied the ability of the two different dosing schemes to control iPTH levels within a desired range between 150 and 300 pg/mL, as well as the frequency of iPTH over-suppression (< 150 pg/mL) in the two groups (iPTH/80 and iPTH/120).

Inclusion Criteria:-maintenance hemodialysis therapy (3 sessions per week) for at least 3 months; iPTH between 300 and 900 pg/mL; age > 18 years; normal serum calcium concentration (8.1 - 10.4 mg/dL); Ca x P product less than 70; no vitamin D metabolite replacement therapy for at least one month prior to the enrollment; aluminum levels lower than 60 μg/L.

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Exclusion Criteria:administration of calcitonin, disphosphonates or corticosteroids; presence of a clinically serious medical condition; previous parathyroidectomy; active malignancy.

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