Absorption of Calcium in Man: Effect of Disease, Hormones and Vitamin D 



201 



in any of these parameters 

 between patients with radio- 

 logically diagnosed osteo- 

 porosis, both male and fe- 

 male, and a small group of 

 apparently normal indivi- 

 duals. Therefore, the normal 

 and all of the osteoporotics 

 were grouped for statistical 

 purposes in Group IV. 



Significantly decreased 

 "ki", and "ao" and appa- 

 rent percent absorption val- 

 ues were obtained in three 

 patients with malabsorption 

 syndrome (Group V). On 

 treatment with gluten-free 

 diet, in two of these patients 

 (Group VI), the "k/' value 

 still remained abnormal and 

 was not significantly dif- 

 ferent from that in the in- 

 itial studies. The only value 

 which changed significantly 

 was that for percent appa- 

 rent absorption. 



Group VII, the two pa- 

 tients with hypoparathyro- 

 idism, showed significantly 

 decreased "k^" values but no 

 significant change in either 

 of the other two measure- 

 ments. When these patients 

 were treated with adequate 

 dosages of vitamin D (Group 

 VIII), the "kj" value became 

 normal and was significantly 

 different from the un- 

 treated state. The change in 

 "ao", although quite marked, 

 was not significant because 

 of the small number of pa- 

 tients. The change in percent 

 apparent absorption is of 

 interest in that it decreased 

 on vitamin D. The next 

 group (IX) consists of three 



