The basal values of plasma vitamin D metabolites were evaluated in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (1 degree HPT, n = 31), hypoparathyroidism (HP, n = 7), pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP, n = 4) and normal controls (n = 21). Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) in 1 degree HPT (9.0 +/0 7.3 ng/ml, mean SD) was significantly lower than that of normal controls (17.9 +/- 5.5ng/ml)(p less than 0.001), and in particular 1 degree HPT classified as the skeletal type showed extremely low value (4.7 +/- 4.6 ng/ml). Plasma 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1, 25-(OH)2D] was significantly higher in 1 degree HPT (69.1 +/- 31.4pg/ml)(p less than 0.001) and significantly lower in Hp (15.2 +/- 11.0 pg/ml) (p less than 0.001) compared to normal controls (37.2 +/- 13.8pg/ml), although there was no significant difference in PHP (22.3 +/- 17.5 pg/ml). Plasma 24, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D [24,, 25-(OH)2D] in 1 degree HPT (1.06 +/- 0.55 ng/ml) was significantly lower than that of normal controls (1.73 +/- 0.62 ng/ml) (p less than 0.05), and particularly 1 degree HPT classified as the skeletal type showed a marked low value (0.85 +/- 0.27 ng/ml), whereas no significant differences were seen in HP (1.84 +/- 0.46 ng/ml) or PHP (1.34 +/- 0.22 ng/ml). There were slight but significant correlations between either plasma 25-OH-D and 1, 25-(OH)2D (r = -0.350, p less than 0.05), or plasma 25-OH-D and 24, 25-(OH)2D (r = 0.356, p less than 0.05), or plasma 1, 25-(OH)2D and 24, 25-(OH)2D (r = -0.444, p less than 0.01) in all subjects. In addition, relationships between plasma vitamin D metabolites and other indicators of parathyroid function in all subjects were analyzed. There were positive correlations between plasma 1, 25-(OH)2D and serum Ca (r = -0.621, p less than 0.001) or urinary cAMP (r = -0.671, p less than 0.001) or nephrogenous cAMP (r = -0.689, p less than 0.001), while negative correlations were seen between plasma 1, 25-(OH)2D and serum P (r = -0.680, p less than 0.001) or %TRP (r = -0.663, p less than 0.001). On the other hand, there were negative correlations between plasma 24, 25-(OH)2D and serum Ca (r = -0.457, p less than 0.01) or urinary cAMP (r = -0.562, p less than 0.005) or nephrogenous cAMp (r = -0.561, p less than 0.005), and a positive correlation was seen between plasma 24, 25-(OH)2D and %TRP (r = 0.519, p less than 0.005). After parathyroidectomy, a distinct depression of plasma 1, 25-(OH)2D and reciprocal elevation of plasma 24, 25-(OH)2D were observed in 1 degree HPT. Furthermore, there was a clear elevation of plasma 24, 25-(OH)2D as well as plasma 1, 25-(OH)2D after treatment with maintenance doses of 1 alpha-OH-D3 or 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D3 in HP and PHP. It is concluded that plasma vitamin D metabolites are very useful as the indicators of parathyroid function.