We compared measurements of parathyroid hormone (PTH) using two assays, in order to detect intact PTH and midregion/C-terminal PTH (M/C-PTH) in a variety of calcium metabolic disorders. The series consisted of a total of 101 patients, including subjects with primary hyperparathyroidism (n = 24), hypoparathyroidism (n = 18), hypercalcaemia of malignancy (n = 10), moderate chronic renal failure (n = 14), chronic renal failure undergoing haemodialysis (n = 19), and small bowel disorders (n = 16). The intact PTH assay was superior to the M/C-PTH assay in reflecting parathyroid function in primary hyperparathyroidism, hypoparathyroidism and hypercalcaemia of malignancy. In patients with chronic renal failure, both assays were indicators of a comparable number of patients with elevated PTH levels. Intact PTH proved most reliable in detecting changes in parathyroid hormone secretion in response to variations in ionized calcium induced by haemodialysis. In patients with extensive intestinal resection, both assays showed increased levels of PTH. It is concluded that measurement of intact PTH is a more reliable index of parathyroid function than measurement of midregion/C-terminal PTH. Thus such an approach should be the one of choice for clinical evaluation of calcium homeostasis.