Outcomes linked to eligibility for stem cell transplantation trials in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore outcomes in a cohort of dcSSc patients fulfilling eligibility criteria for stem cell transplantation (SCT) studies but receiving standard immunosuppression. METHODS: From a large single-centre dcSSc cohort (n = 636), patients were identified using the published SCT trials' inclusion criteria. Patients meeting the trials' exclusion criteria were excluded. RESULTS: Of the 227 eligible patients, 214 met the inclusion criteria for ASTIS (Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation International Scleroderma), 82 for SCOT (Scleroderma: Cyclophosphamide Or Transplantation) and 185 for the UPSIDE (UPfront autologous haematopoietic Stem cell transplantation vs Immunosuppressive medication in early DiffusE cutaneous systemic sclerosis) trial, and 66 were excluded based on age >65 years, low diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLco), pulmonary hypertension or creatinine clearance <40 ml/min. The mean follow-up time was 12 years (s.d. 7). Among the eligible patients, 103 (45.4%) died. Survival was 96% at 2 years, 88% at 5 years, 73% at 10 years and 43% at 20 years. Compared with this 'SCT-eligible' cohort, those patients who would have been excluded from SCT trials had a worse long-term survival (97% at 2 years, 77% at 5 years, 52% at 10 years and 15% at 20 years, log rank P < 0.001). Excluded patients also had a significantly worse long-term event-free survival. Hazard of death was higher in patients with higher age at onset [hazard ratio (HR) 1.05, P < 0.001], higher ESR at baseline (HR 1.01, P = 0.025) and males (HR 2.12, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: SCT inclusion criteria identify patients with poor outcome despite current best practice treatment. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria for SCT but who would have been excluded from the trials because of age, pulmonary hypertension, poor kidney function or DLco <40% had worse outcomes.

Bone deficit in ovariectomized rats. Functional contribution of the marrow stromal cell population and the effect of oral dihydrotachysterol treatment.

This study investigates the proliferative and osteogenic role of marrow stromal/osteoprogenitor cells in the development of the cortical bone deficit in ovariectomized (OVX) female rats. In vitro, clonal growth of marrow stromal cells from OVX rats was significantly impaired (vs. sham-operated controls). Yet in vivo, cells from sham-operated and OVX rats had equal osteogenic potential in several in vivo experimental situations, such as in intraperitoneally implanted millipore diffusion chambers and in intramuscular implants of marrow plus osteoinductive bone matrix (composite grafts). Long-term (6 mo) dihydrotachysterol (DHT) treatment of OVX rats enhanced their in vitro proliferative potential and clonal growth, as well as their osteogenic expression in composite grafts. The observation that the in vivo osteogenic performance of OVX rat marrow stromal cells was normal at extraosseous sites suggests that the mechanisms leading to osteopenia may involve an abnormality in cell-matrix interactions.

The interactions of thiazide diuretics with parathyroid hormone and vitamin D. Studies in patients with hypoparathyroidism.

In order to clarify the mechanisms of thiazide diuretic-induced hypocalciuria, the effect of a thiazide was studied for 7 days in seven patients with hypoparathyroidism on Vitamin D and one on calcium infusion, and seven euparathyroid patients with hypercalciuria. In the control group, calcium excretion (mg/24 hr) fell by 44% from 415 to 232 within 4 days and remained at this level. Plasma total calcium corrected for total protein did not change. In the hypoparathyroid group, calcium excretion fell by 11% from 351 to 311 and then returned to the base line level. Plasma total calcium (mg/100 ml) increased from 10.09 to 10.88, 11.29 and 10.77 at the end of the 2nd, 4th, and 7th day of thiazide administration. In the patient having i.v. calcium and no Vitamin D, neither plasma nor urinary calcium changed significantly. In both groups sodium excretion increased on the first 2 days and fell to or below base line level thereafter. Urinary phosphate, magnesium, and potassium increased, plasma phosphate rose, and magnesium and potassium fell. It is concluded that: (a) The hypocalciuric effect of thiazides requires the presence of parathyroid hormone and is not solely a result of sodium depletion. (b) The hypercalcemic effect of thiazides in hypoparathyroidism is due to increased release of calcium from bone and requires the presence of a pharmacologic dose of Vitamin D. (c) Thiazides enhane the action of parathyroid hormone on bone and kidney; Vitamin D can replace parathyroid hormone in this interaction in bone but not in kidney.

Dihydrotachysterol therapy for hypoparathyroidism: consequences of inadequate monitoring. Five cases and a review.

BACKGROUND: The half synthetic Vitamin D analogue dihydrotachysterol (DHT) is widely used for hypocalcaemic hypoparathyroidism following surgical removal of parathyroids. Such treatment generally initiated by surgeons right after surgery has to be continued in clinical practice. Unfortunately, the required careful monitoring of calcium metabolism is often lacking and as demonstrated may lead to life-threatening conditions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Here we report on five patients referred to our nephrology unit because of unknown impairment of renal function during therapy with DHT. All patients had clinical signs of hypercalcaemia. Since most symptoms are nonspecific they were not perceived by primary care physicians. In fact DHT treatment was continued for 4 - 50 years. In all cases calcium levels were determined after inadequate long intervals ranging from 3.08 to 4.97 mmol/l. Creatinine levels ranged from 277 to 365 micromol/l. All patients suffered from symptoms of severe hypercalcaemia, three of them needing intensive care unit treatment. RESULTS: All patients were treated effectively with a regimen consisting of intravenous saline, a loop diuretic, and application of bisphosphonates. As confirmed by renal biopsy persisting alleviation of renal function was due to calcifications. After discontinuation of DHT therapy patients were safely switched to shorter acting vitamin D derivates maintaining a normal calcium level. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to short acting vitamin-D derivates hypercalcaemic episodes with DHT appear to last longer and may therefore occur with higher incidence. A future option could be the use of synthetic parathyroid hormone (s-PTH) recently shown to be safe and effective. Nevertheless a customized therapy and careful monitoring is indispensable in any case to prevent irreversible organ damage.

The effects of calciferol and its metabolites on patients with chronic renal failure. I. Calciferol, dihydrotachysterol, and calcifediol.

The available data with regard to the use of calciferol, dihydrotachysterol, and calcifediol in the management of renal insufficiency are reviewed. Very limited data are available with regard to calciferol therapy; with the advent of more active metabolites, the use of calciferol is not warranted. Dihydrotachysterol seems to be effective in the treatment of renal patients with osteitis fibrosa; its low cost makes therapy with this compound a reasonable alternative, although it should not be used in the treatment of patients with liver disease. Calcifediol seems to be effective in patients with osteitis fibrosa; however, limited data on histologic characteristics of bone are available. Detailed prospective studies are necessary to establish the therapeutic benefit of calcifediol.

1,25(OH)2D levels in dihydrotachysterol-treated patients: influence on 1,25(OH)2D assays.

Many clinicians continue to prefer dihydrotachysterol (DHT) as the initial vitamin D agent of choice in hypoparathyroidism and renal osteodystrophy because of its long history of efficacy and safety. Assessment of the factors influencing the clinical response to DHT treatment should include measurement of vitamin D metabolite profiles, but investigators have heretofore been unable to measure 1,25(OH)2D because levels have been found to be falsely elevated when employing the chick intestinal cytosol receptor assay. After converting from the chick cytosol receptor assay to the calf thymus receptor assay for measuring 1,25(OH)2D, we did not note falsely elevated levels of 1,25(OH)2D in DHT-treated patients. The design of this study, therefore, was aimed at determining whether or not the calf thymus receptor measured authentic 1,25(OH)2D in such patients. We controlled for the possibility that freezing and thawing or prolonged storage might have either lowered 1,25(OH)2D levels or degraded a metabolite(s) of DHT that would have otherwise been recognized as "1,25(OH)2D" by the calf receptor. Similarly, technical differences between the two assays, source of thymus, and potential interference by other cytosolic proteins were eliminated as causes for the difference between the 1,25(OH)2D levels in the two assays. Our experiments do not provide an explanation for why the thymus receptor does not "see" the interfering metabolite(s) of DHT. This could reflect either a tissue difference or perhaps a species difference. Our results do provide the first opportunity to expand the investigation of the metabolic effects of DHT therapy to include changes in intrinsic 1,25(OH)2D metabolism.

Comparative efficacy of various vitamin D metabolites in the treatment of various types of hypoparathyroidism.

Fourteen patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism, 17 with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism, and 12 with postoperative hypoparathyroidism were treated with vitamin D2, dihydrotachysterol, 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3)1 alpha-OHD3), and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 for 6-18 months. The optimal maintenance dose or minimum daily dose of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to maintain serum calcium at approximately 8.5 mg/100 ml and control all the clinical symptoms was 1.3 +/- 0.16 micrograms/day (mean +/- SE) in pseudohypoparathyroidism, 1.5 +/- 0.18 micrograms/day in idiopathic hypoparathyroidism, and 1.9 +/- 0.50 micrograms/day in postoperative hypoparathyroidism. There was no significant difference in the optimal maintenance dose among the 3 groups. The optimal maintenance dose of 1 alpha-OHD3, however, was 2.0 +/- 0.12 micrograms/day in pseudohypoparathyroidism, significantly lower than that in idiopathic hypoparathyroidism (3.5 +/-0.29 micrograms/day; P less than 0.001) and in postoperative hypoparathyroidism (4.89 +/- 0.54 micrograms/day; P less than 0.001). Significantly lower doses were required in the treatment of idiopathic hypoparathyroidism than in postoperative hypoparathyroidism (P less than 0.05). No significant difference was found in the optimal maintenance dose of dihydrotachysterol and vitamin D2 among the 3 groups. The average pretreatment serum calcium levels and clinical manifestations were indistinguishable among the 3 groups of patients. This suggests that such a difference in the optimal maintenance dose of 1 alpha-OHD3 is ascribed not to the difference in the severity of hypoparathyroidism, but most probably to differences in the pathophysiological processes in pseudohypoparathyroidism and idiopathic or postoperative hypoparathyroidism. The excess parathyroid hormone levels in blood of patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism (and not in other types of hypoparathyroidism) may explain such a difference.

Cortisol-dihydrotachysterol antagonism in a patient with hypoparathyroidism and adrenal insufficiency: apparent inhibition of bone resorption.

This report describes a case of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis with associated hypoparathyroidism and acutely developed adrenocortical insufficiency. The latter was heralded by hypercalcemia. Upon the institution of cortisol therapy, while still under the effects of a vitamin D analog dihydrotachysterol (DHT), the patient exhibited severe hypocalcemia and tetany. Since calcium intake was minimal during this period of presumed corticosteroid-DHT antagonism, it is suggested that the cortisol disturbed calcium homeostasis by in inhibiting bone calcium resorption.

Calcium: pacesetting the periodic psychoses.

In this double-blind study dihydrotachysterol (DHT) was given orally to eight psychotic patients; in each case marked increases in psychosis and agitation accompanied increases in serum calcium and phosphorus within two weeks after active drug was substituted for placebo. In the three patients whose psychoses exhibited periodic spontaneous exacerbations, the agitated episodes grew more severe. Serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) increased in all but one patient. By contrast, when three periodically psychotic patients received synthetic salmon calcitonin (SCT), the severity and frequency of agitated episodes decreased while CSF calcium increased in all three. These data support the hypothesis that the observed abrupt increases in serum calcium and phosphorus might cause the opposite CSF calcium shifts, the behavioral agitation and the increases in serum CPK frequently noted during acute psychosis.

Vitamin D resistance in magnesium deficiency.

Four patients with gastrointestinal disorders, and one patient with chronic alcoholism presented with both hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia. Pharmacological doses of either ergocalciferol or dihydrotachysterol did not correct the hypocalcemia except in one patient who had a minimal rise in serum calcium. Parathormone levels were high in three patients and exogenous parathormone given to the fourth subject failed to elicit a rise in serum calcium, implying impairment of the calcemic response to parathormone. Magnesium repletion simultaneously corrected the hypomagnesemia and hypocalcemia. Balance data suggested that the rise in serum calcium was in part, at least, due to increased mobilization of minerals from bone. While the mechanism remains speculative, it appears that magnesium facilitates the release of calcium from bone in the presence of adequate amounts of vitamin D and parathormone.

Preliminary trials with 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in dialysis osteomalacia.

Fifteen patients with dialysis osteomalacia were treated with 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in dosages up to 10 micrograms per day for two to 24 months. All had previously had no improvement during treatment with calcitriol but had been remarkably susceptible to hypercalcemia. When 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was given with either calcitriol or dihydrotachysterol, serum calcium levels were significantly lower than during treatment with calcitriol or dihydrotachysterol alone. Eight of nine patients who received combined therapy with 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and calcitriol for longer than two months had clinical improvement; six patients underwent repeated bone biopsy and showed evidence of improved bone mineralization. Patients who received 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 alone did not improve clinically. Since 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 appears to improve calcium homeostasis and bone mineralization in some patients with severe dialysis osteomalacia when administered with 1-hydroxylated vitamin D metabolites, further controlled studies are warranted.

Effect of daily oral vitamin D and calcium therapy, hypophosphatemia, and endogenous 1-25 dihydroxycholecalciferol on parathyroid hormone and phosphate wasting in renal transplant recipients.

Ten stable, normocalcemic renal transplant patients with good allograft function, hyperparathyroidism, and variable hypophosphatemia were treated for 2 to 9 months with oral calcium carbonate and replacement doses of vitamin D analogues. Parathyroid hormone levels (PTH) and renal phosphate wasting were not autonomous or fixed but decreased with therapy. Although serum 1-25(OH)2D3 levels could be shown to rise appropriately during oral vitamin D therapy and fall afterwards, a separate study in a larger group of patients showed no effect of elevated parathyroid hormone or hypophosphatemia to increase endogenous 1-25(OH)2D3 levels. Some 42% of patients with elevated carboxy-terminal PTH, had elevated N-terminal PTH, which was closely associated with more severe phosphate wasting. Aggressive oral calcium and vitamin D supplementation in certain normocalcemic renal transplant patients may decrease endogenous PTH levels, improve hypophosphatemia, and provide a physiologic increase in levels of 1-25(OH)2D3.

The effect of phosphate supplementation on linear growth in children with X-linked hypophosphatemia.

BACKGROUND: X-linked hypophosphatemia is the most common inherited cause of rickets. Current therapy for this disorder includes vitamin D and phosphate supplementation; however, phosphate therapy has been associated with nephrocalcinosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of oral phosphate therapy on growth in patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia treated with either calcitriol or dihydrotachysterol (vitamin D). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the prepubertal growth of 36 children with X-linked hypophosphatemia. The height standard deviation score (Z-score) of patients initially treated with vitamin D alone and the Z-scores of patients treated with vitamin D and phosphate therapy were compared. In addition, the growth of therapy were compared. In addition, the growth of patients treated with vitamin D was compared with that of patients treated with vitamin D and phosphate from the outset of therapy. RESULTS: Patients treated with vitamin D alone for 5.36 +/- 2.18 years had an improvement in Z-score from -3.1 +/- 1.10 to -2.49 +/- 0.66 SDS, P < .05. Adding phosphate therapy for patients initially treated with vitamin D alone for 4.83 +/- 2.99 years did not further improve Z-score (-2.49 +/- 0.66 vs -2.35 +/- 0.83). Initial therapy with vitamin D and phosphate for 4.33 +/- 2.19 years also improved Z-score, (-2.84 +/- 1.02 vs -1.98 +/- 0.82, P < .05). The change in Z-score was similar to the group treated with vitamin D alone compared with the group treated initially with vitamin D and phosphate (0.65 +/- 0.54 vs 0.85 +/- 0.65, respectively). CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that both vitamin D alone and in combination with phosphate improved linear growth. Adding oral phosphate for children initially treated with vitamin D alone did not improve Z-score. Initial therapy with vitamin D and vitamin D plus phosphate produced similar changes in linear growth.

Hypercalcemia in a calcitriol-treated hypoparathyroid woman during lactation.

We treated a hypoparathyroid woman with calcitriol during pregnancy and did not reduce the dosage after delivery. Despite lactation, the serum calcium level increased to 15.4 mg/dL 11 days postpartum. We treated two other hypoparathyroid women during four pregnancies with either calcitriol or dihydrotachysterol. In all five pregnancies, requirements for the vitamin D preparations increased beginning at the 20-28th week of gestation. Hypercalcemia did not occur in the two women who did not breast-feed and in whom we reduced the dose of calcitriol or dihydrotachysterol after delivery. We conclude the following: 1) Calcitriol is effective for treating hypoparathyroidism during pregnancy; 2) the dose usually needs to be increased during the latter half of gestation; 3) the calcitriol dose should be reduced during lactation; and 4) both mother and infant should be monitored to detect hypercalcemia during breast-feeding. We speculate that low serum estrogen levels associated with breast-feeding promote bone resorption and diminish calcitriol needs in lactating hypoparathyroid women.

The response to 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and to dihydrotachysterol in adult-onset hypophosphataemic osteomalacia.

The biochemical changes observed in a patient with adult-onset hypophosphataemic osteomalacia after three weeks treatment with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25-(OH)2D3) followed by dihydrotachysterol (DHT) are reported. The treatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3 resulted in restoration of intestinal phosphate absorption to normal with a small rise in plasma phosphate concentration; there was no significant change in tubular reabsorption of phosphate. The tubular reabsorption of bicarbonate, which was initially low, returned almost into the normal range with normalisation of plasma bicarbonate concentration. Aminoaciduria decreased. There were no changes in plasma or urinary calcium but immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (i-PTH) which was initially elevated fell but still remained above the normal range. These changes were maintained after replacing the 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment with dihydrotachysterol (DHT).

Current therapy of hypoparathyroidism--a survey of German endocrinology centers.

Hypoparathyroidism is a rare disease with hypocalcemia as the leading symptom. In adults, hypocalcemia is mainly due to postoperative hypoparathyroidism. Hypoparathyroidism requires lifelong therapy with vitamin D or metabolites. Genuine vitamin D3 (Vigantol) is the most economic treatment of hypoparathyroidism; however, vitamin D3 has a very long biologic half life with the subsequent danger of chronic vitamin D intoxication. Dihydrotachysterol (A.T.10), an analogue of vitamin D, acts similarly and can be used alternatively. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (Rocaltrol), the biologically active metabolite of vitamin D3, is very potent, but bears the danger of causing acute intoxication; it has a short half life and is more expensive than vitamin D3. A further metabolite, 1-hydroxy-vitamin D3 (alfacalcidol, Doss, EinsAlpha) is available for therapeutic use. Clinical intervention trials concerning the best therapy and management of hypoparathyroidism are lacking. We therefore surveyed German physicians treating hypoparathyroidism. Furthermore, we carried out a retrospective study of 45 patients treated in our endocrinology department during the last 8 years and examined whether measurement of 25(OH)-vitamin D3 is helpful in managing hypoparathyroidism. The data from 59 children and 270 adults could be completed in the survey. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was the only vitamin D agent that was administered in the treatment of children, whereas in adults 52% were treated with dihydrotachysterol, 28% with genuine vitamin D3, and 20% with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. There was a positive correlation between serum 25(OH)-vitamin D3 levels and administered vitamin D3 doses. In patients treated with vitamin D3, serum calcium levels correlated significantly with serum 25(OH)-vitamin D3 levels whereas they did not correlate with administered calcium doses. Thus: (1) in Germany dihydrotachysterol is preferred for therapy of hypoparathyroidism in adults and (2) measurement of serum 25(OH)-vitamin D3 may be helpful in assessing efficacy of therapy and compliance in patients treated with vitamin D3.

Impact of parathyroid status and Ca and vitamin-D supplementation on bone mass and muscle-bone relationships in 208 Belarussian children after thyroidectomy because of thyroid carcinoma.

This observational study analyzes Ca-P metabolism and its impact on bone mass accrual and density and the muscle-bone mass/mass relationships in male and female children and adolescents who were parathyroidectomized because of thyroid carcinoma. Two hundred and eight children and adolescents (119 girls and 89 boys) from Gomel city (Belarus) and its rural surroundings were referred to our institution after having undergone total thyroidectomy for the treatment of advanced papillary thyroid cancer. A subgroup of children with demonstrated primary hypoparathyroidism received dihydrotachysterol (AT-10) and/or Ca supplementation. Among routine procedures over a maximum follow-up period of 5 years (average 3.7 years, maximum 8 visits), whole-body scans were taken using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at each visit in order to determine whole-body bone mineral content (TBMC), projected "areal" bone mineral density (TBMD), total lean mass (TLM) and total fat mass (TFM). The average serum Ca, P and AP concentrations over the whole observation period were significantly different between the groups; however, TBMC z-scores for all studied children were statistically similar in all visits. In girls, no between-group differences in height- and weight-controlled TBMC and TBMD or the TBMC/TLM ratio were observed (ANCOVA) and supplementation exerted no effect on these data, suggesting that the total bone mass accrual was not impaired by PTH deficiency in the studied conditions. However, non-supplemented boys showed lower values of the TBMC/TLM ratio than girls, and supplementation normalized these values in direct correlation with the induced improvement in serum P availability to bone. Results indicate that the primary impairment in parathyroid function and bone metabolism indicators in the thyroidectomized children was unrelated to any measurable change in crude bone mass values. However, in boys this condition impaired the TBMC/TLM ratio in such a way that the administered supplementation could normalize it as a function of improved P availability. Girls' skeleton seemed to have been naturally protected against the negative metabolic effect of the studied condition. An estrogen-induced enhancement of the biomechanical impact of muscle contractions on bone mass and structure could not be excluded in this group.

Therapy of renal osteodystrophy with dihydrotachysterol in non-dialyzed patients.

Two non-dialyzed patients with severe uremic bone disease were treated successfully with dihydrotachysterol (DHT). In each case, dramatic clinical improvement was noted in several weeks and this was verified by biochemical, radiologic and histologic measurements. Although DHT has been utilized previously in combination with dialysis, its documented effectiveness in the absence of the latter therapy has not previously been reported.

Treatment of renal osteodystrophy in children with dihydrotachysterol and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

The effect of administration of 25 micrograms 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (24,25(OH)2D) combined with dihydrotachysterol (DHT2) on clinical, radiological, biochemical and bone histological parameters was assessed in ten children on chronic hemodialysis. Eight children had been treated with DHT2 prior to administration of 24,25(OH)2D. Addition of 24,25(OH)2D to the treatment resulted in a decrease in serum calcium values. Therefore higher doses of DHT2 were required to maintain serum-calcium levels between 2.4-2.8 mmol/l. Administration of 24,25(OH)2D did not modify the quality of bone, but histomorphometric investigation did show a significant reduction of the surface percentage of bone trabecula, in the iliac crest, covered with osteoclasts (oc%). Following the administration of 24,25(OH)2D an increase in bone mineralization was shown by X-rays of the wrists and measured by dual photonabsorptiometry. Addition of 24,25(OH)2D to the DHT2 treatment resulted in an increase in serum concentration of 24,25(OH)2D and a decrease in DHT2 levels. The present study suggests that administered 24,25(OH)2D interferes with DHT2 metabolism and increases DHT2 tolerance. Increased bone mineralization may be related to 24,25(OH)2D, a higher dose of DHT2 or both.

Parathyroid autotransplantation in patients undergoing a total thyroidectomy: a review of 261 patients.

Parathyroid autotransplantation was first described in 1907 by Halsted. However, this simple and effective method of preserving parathyroid function has been used with increasing frequency only during the past 25 years. Beginning in the late 1960s, our group has transplanted normal parathyroid tissue into the ipsilateral sternocleidomastoid muscle whenever these glands could not be preserved in situ with adequate blood supply. In addition, if the blood supply of all four parathyroid glands appeared compromised, cryopreservation of parathyroid tissue was performed in case the autotransplanted tissue did not function after surgery. Since 1970, 393 patients underwent a total thyroidectomy. Parathyroid glands that could not be saved in situ were biopsied to confirm their identity by frozen section and then autotransplanted. Of the 393 patients who underwent a total thyroidectomy, 261 patients required transplantation of one or more glands. Among those 261 patients who underwent selective parathyroid autotransplantation, 33 (13%) required temporary calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Of these 33 patients, 2 (less than 1%) had permanent hypoparathyroidism and are receiving long-term vitamin D therapy.