Hypercalcemia associated with parathyroid hormone-related protein produced by B-cell type primary malignant lymphoma of the kidney

Abstract

 A patient with primary non-Hodgkin's (B-cell type) lymphoma of the kidney developed hypercalcemia at the terminal stage of the disease. Although the plasma parathyroid hormone level was low, urinary cyclic AMP excretion was elevated. Serum osteocalcin (BGP) was suppressed and the plasma level of 1,25(OH)₂D was within the normal range. Serum concentrations of PTH-related protein (PTHrP)-like immunoreactivity (PRP-LI) were elevated, and the tissue concentration of PRP-LI in the postmortem lymph node showed high level along with elevated serum PRP-LI, furthermore the production of PTHrP by the tumor was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and Northern blotting analysis. These findings indicate that the hypercalcemia of the patient was caused by the PTHrP-producing B-cell lymphoma. Hypercalcemia was restored to normocalcemia by bisphosphonate treatment. Our case will add further information on humoral hypercalcemia in B-cell lymphoma, which rarely has been demonstrated to produce PTHrP.